Chocolate Macarons – Sugar Spun Run

My Chocolate Macaron Recipe makes lovely, completely textured chocolate macarons stuffed with ganache. My recipe contains LOTS of suggestions so that you might be profitable, irrespective of your talent degree. Recipe features a how-to video!

Tiered tray of brown macarons filled with chocolate ganache.

The Finest Chocolate Macaron Recipe

My French macaron recipe could have been certainly one of my most detailed posts but, however there was only one factor I disregarded: chocolate! So a lot of you might have requested for a chocolate macaron recipe after I shared that first recipe, and I’m so proud to share these perfected chocolate macrons with you as we speak!

Whereas I usually LOVE utilizing my white chocolate buttercream as a macaron filling, I made a decision to fill these chocolate macarons with chocolate ganache–yum! If chocolate on chocolate is an excessive amount of for you (mentioned no chocoholic, ever 😜), I recommend a number of various filling choices for you beneath.

White plate with brown, ganache-filled macarons stacked on top of it.

This recipe is similar to my basic macarons, however there have been just a few particulars that have been completely different sufficient that I felt it warranted its personal put up (like lowering the almond flour/powdered sugar and never macaronaging fairly as a lot). I did attempt to preserve this put up a bit extra succinct, so should you’re new to macarons, you would possibly wish to give the unique put up an intensive studying earlier than beginning this recipe.

What You Want

Listed here are the primary elements in my chocolate macaron recipe. Keep in mind, identical to with most of my recipes, you’ll mechanically have higher success should you weigh every ingredient with a kitchen scale. I nonetheless present cup measurements beneath, however I extremely advocate utilizing weights for one of the best outcomes!

Overhead view of ingredients with labels including cream of tartar, almond flour, egg whites, and more.
  • Egg whites. Don’t let any egg yolk (not even a drop) in when separating your eggs! This could have an effect on how they whip up. I don’t advocate utilizing the liquid egg whites bought in a carton, as chances are you’ll not have success whipping them correctly (most carton egg whites warn you that you just received’t have the ability to whip them).
  • Sugar. I exploit a mix of powdered and granulated sugar on this chocolate macaron recipe. Each assist to stabilize the meringue and add sweetness. Tremendous high quality or caster sugar may even work instead of granulated sugar.
  • Cream of tartar. Cream of tartar isn’t a should, and positive, you may go away it out, however I personally advocate it and like to make use of it as a stabilizing safeguard when making macarons.
  • Almond flour. Use tremendous high quality, blanched almond flour. In the event you can’t discover tremendous high quality almond flour, you can also make your individual by blitzing your flour and powdered sugar in a meals processor for 15 1-second pulses. It would be best to do that twice, stirring in between (however don’t overdo it, grinding the flour an excessive amount of will flip it right into a butter).
  • Cocoa powder. Chocolate macarons are a lot much less prone to be hole, which is good! Nonetheless, they are often liable to getting oily/wrinkly tops, particularly if the cocoa powder is extra oily. I discover I’ve one of the best success with Hershey’s “particular darkish” chocolate. It yields constant, deeply coloured chocolate macarons. In the event you can’t discover this, you should use another Dutch course of cocoa powder. I’ve additionally examined the recipe with pure unsweetened cocoa powder and it really works effectively this manner, too, however the chocolate taste isn’t as intense and the colour is extra pale.
  • Meals coloring. That is optionally available, however for a richer brown coloration, you may add brown meals coloring since cocoa powder alone doesn’t give a very darkish coloration. I like to recommend you utilize gel meals coloring should you resolve so as to add any.

For the Ganache Filling

For the filling you’ll need:

  • Semisweet chocolate. Use couverture chocolate or a chopped semisweet baking bar. I don’t advocate utilizing common semisweet chips. For a darker taste, you possibly can substitute darkish chocolate as a substitute (60% is a superb possibility).
  • Heavy cream. Double cream or whipping cream may even work.
  • Butter. We’ll be including a little bit of butter, salt, and vanilla right here for additional taste and a silky easy mouthfeel. Whereas not a conventional ganache ingredient, I like the way in which it rounds out the flavour and texture for the macaron filling. In the event you solely have salted butter, that’s high quality–simply skip the salt.

SAM’S TIP: In the event you’ve made my meringue cookies or angel meals cake, then you have already got expertise with whipping egg whites and understand how finicky they are often. The entire strategies I present in these recipes additionally apply right here, crucial being to make use of a clear, dry, grease free bowls and utensils. I additionally advocate avoiding rubber or silicone when making chocolate macarons.

Keep in mind, that is simply an outline of the elements I used and why. For the complete recipe please scroll all the way down to the underside of the put up!

The way to Make Chocolate Macarons

Preparation

Collage of four photos showing egg whites being separated and a cocoa powder mixture being sifted and whisked.
  1. Separate the egg whites from the yolks and place them in a clear, dry, grease-free container. Don’t let ANY yolk or any moisture along with your whites!
  2. Age the egg whites. Cowl the container with plastic wrap, poke some hols within the high utilizing a toothpick, and let sit for a minimum of 24 hours earlier than utilizing. Technically this step is optionally available, however it may well make your meringue extra sturdy, so I like to recommend doing it.
  3. Sift the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and almond flour. Make certain to discard any lumps that pop up.
  4. Whisk to verify these dry elements are totally mixed, then set them apart.

SAM’S TIP: Use a scale! Whereas I embody cup measurements within the recipe card, I lead with metric/weight measurements, as a kitchen scale is way more correct and can make your macarons extra prone to end up. In the event you’ve by no means used a scale earlier than, right here is my information to utilizing a kitchen scale (and that is an affiliate link for the scale I personally use, it’s solely ten bucks on Amazon — cheaper than a set of measuring cups!).

Meringue

Collage of four photos showing egg whites being whipped to stiff peaks.
  1. Beat the egg whites till foamy utilizing an electrical mixer, then add the cream of tartar and stir once more for an additional 30 seconds.
  2. Add the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, beating for about 30 seconds after every addition earlier than including the subsequent.
  3. Add taste and meals coloring. Stir within the vanilla, salt, and meals coloring (if utilizing) till integrated.
  4. Beat to stiff peaks. Beat the meringue on medium excessive till it reaches stiff peaks. Whenever you carry the beater from the bowl, the height that varieties ought to maintain its form with out falling again in on itself.

Macaronage

Collage of four photos showing chocolate macaron batter being folded and scraped in a bowl.
  1. Fold in a single third of the cocoa powder combination into the meringue till mixed, then repeat with the subsequent two parts.
  2. Macaronage – Fold, scrape, and lower via the batter, turning the bowl as you go. Smoosh the batter in opposition to the perimeters of the bowl sometimes to assist deflate it a bit.
  3. Maintain folding the batter till it falls from the spatula in a easy ribbon. Check to see in case your batter is able to pipe by trying to make a steady figure-8.
  4. In case your figure-8 is profitable, pour your batter right into a piping bag. If not, preserve folding, scraping, and smooshing till you can also make a profitable figure-8.

SAM’S TIP: With my basic macarons, I’ve you test to see how lengthy your figure-8 holds its form earlier than melting again into the batter; there isn’t a want to do this with my chocolate macarons. As soon as you can also make (or simply barely make) an 8 determine, you’re good! Mixing past that would end in overdoing it.

Piping

Collage of four photos showing chocolate macaron batter being piped onto a baking sheet and baked.
  1. Pipe the batter straight down onto a parchment lined baking sheets, flicking your wrist on the finish to complete.
  2. Bang your pans in your countertop 4-5 instances to launch any air bubbles. Preheat your oven to 325F whilst you let your macarons relaxation and type a pores and skin.
  3. Examine for a pores and skin on the tops of your macarons (they need to really feel dry to the contact should you gently graze your finger overtop), then place one baking sheet within the middle rack of your oven.
  4. Bake for 10-11 minutes, turning midway via. Your chocolate macarons are achieved when their toes look dry and the tops can face up to a light-weight contact with out sinking. Let cool fully earlier than filling.

Ganache Filling

Collage of four photos showing chocolate ganache being prepared.
  1. Warmth the cream in a small saucepan till simmering. Place your chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
  2. Pour the recent cream over the chocolate and instantly cowl with foil. Let this combination sit for five minutes earlier than eradicating the foil and whisking till easy.
  3. Whisk within the butter, salt, and vanilla till melted and cohesive.
  4. Let the ganache cool till agency, then switch to a piping bag.

Meeting

Collage of two photos showing chocolate ganache being piped into chocolate meringue shells.
  1. Pair off your macaron shells, ensuring to match comparable sizes collectively. Pipe ganache onto one shell.
  2. Sandwich with one other shell, urgent gently collectively. Repeat with the remaining macarons.

SAM’S TIP: It’s important that your ganache is agency earlier than utilizing it to fill your chocolate macarons. Including the ganache whereas it’s too sizzling won’t solely be tough to pipe, however it’s going to additionally seep out whenever you sandwich the macarons collectively.

Two chocolate macarons stacked on top of each other with the top macaron missing a bite.

Regularly Requested Questions

What are the most important errors when making macarons?

I’m going over these intimately in my French macaron recipe, however to maintain it transient right here, you wish to keep away from: over- or under-mixing your batter, resting for too little time, and underbaking.

There are such a lot of different elements to macaron success (like monitoring the climate and realizing your true oven temperature), so should you’d wish to learn up on these, head over to my authentic French macaron recipe.

What’s macaronage?

Macaronage is the method of mixing (particularly scraping and smooshing) your macaron batter till it’s cohesive, easy, and able to pipe. It’s a vital step in making macarons, and doing it incorrectly will have an effect on the outcomes you get from this chocolate macaron recipe.

Plate of chocolate macarons drizzled with chocolate.

Which macaron taste do you wish to see subsequent? Let me know within the feedback!

Take pleasure in!

Let’s bake collectively! I’ll be strolling you thru all of the steps in my written recipe and video beneath! In the event you do that recipe, be sure you tag me on Instagram, and you may as well discover me on YouTube and Facebook

Plate of chocolate macarons drizzled with chocolate.

Chocolate Macarons

My chocolate macaron recipe makes lovely, completely textured chocolate macarons stuffed with ganache. My recipe contains LOTS of suggestions so that you might be profitable, irrespective of your talent degree. Recipe features a how-to video!

Print
Pin
Rate

Course: cookie, Dessert

Delicacies: French

Prep Time: 50 minutes

Cook dinner Time: 10 minutes

Resting Time: 30 minutes

Complete Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings: 25 macarons

Energy: 167kcal

Stop your display from going darkish

Directions

  • Earlier than starting: If you’re a newbie, first learn via the put up and watch the video. Guarantee your whole gear (bowls, spatulas, beaters, and many others.) are fully clear, dry, and grease free. Keep away from utilizing rubber, silicone, and plastic when whipping egg whites.

  • Line two or three cookie sheets with parchment paper and put aside.

  • Sift almond flour, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder right into a medium-sized mixing bowl and whisk to mix. Put aside.

    145 grams almond flour, 145 grams powdered sugar, 10 grams Particular Darkish cocoa powder

  • To a separate, massive mixing bowl, add egg whites and, utilizing an electrical mixer, beat on medium pace till foamy (about 30 seconds).

    110 grams (110 ml) aged egg whites

  • Add cream of tartar and stir once more (medium pace) for 30 seconds.

    ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar

  • Whereas mixing, add about 1 Tablespoon of granulated sugar and beat for about 30 seconds earlier than including the subsequent Tablespoon. Repeat, ready 30 seconds between additions, till all sugar has been added.

    95 grams granulated sugar

  • As soon as all sugar has been added, add vanilla extract, salt, (if utilizing brown meals coloring, add this right here, too). Proceed to beat on medium to medium-high pace till combination reaches thick, fluffy, stiff peaks, that means should you carry the beaters from the bowl, the height that varieties ought to maintain its form and never fold or shrink again in on itself.

    ⅛ teaspoon desk salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • Add roughly a 3rd of the cocoa powder combination to the meringue and use a spatula to fold till mixed. Repeat with the subsequent third of the combination, then the final.

  • Proceed to fold the batter, shifting your spatula in sweeping motions, scraping down the perimeters and backside of the bowl and slicing via the center of the batter and turning your bowl as you go. Use your spatula to smoosh the combination in opposition to the aspect of the bowl periodically to assist deflate it. Proceed to fold till the batter flows easily and falls from the spatula in a easy ribbon. It is best to have the ability to JUST BARELY make a figure-8 with the batter with out the meringue breaking.

  • Pour the batter into a big pastry bag fitted with a spherical tip (I just like the Ateco 804).

  • Pipe batter onto ready baking sheets, holding the piping bag straight up and down and flicking your wrist on the finish to finish the macaron. Area macarons a minimum of 1 ½” aside.

  • Rap every pan very firmly in your countertop 4-5 instances to launch any air bubbles and preheat your oven to 325F (160C).

  • Let macarons relaxation till a pores and skin varieties on the floor (should you run the pad of your finger excessive it ought to really feel dry and never sticky or cheesy). This usually takes about 25 minutes in my kitchen, however could differ.

  • Bake one tray at a time within the middle rack of your oven for 10-11 minutes, turning the pan round midway via the baking time. When completed baking, the toes ought to look dry and should you calmly press down on the highest of a macaron it shouldn’t give.

  • Enable macaron shells to chill fully earlier than filling with chocolate ganache.

Chocolate Ganache

  • Place chocolate in a medium-sized heatproof bowl and put aside.

    8 oz (226 g) semisweet chocolate chips

  • In a small saucepan, warmth cream till steaming. Take away from warmth and pour cream evenly over chocolate. Cowl with aluminum foil and permit to take a seat, undisturbed, for five minutes.

    1 cup (236 ml) heavy cream

  • Take away foil and whisk combination till easy.

  • Add butter, salt, and vanilla extract and stir till butter is melted and combination is easy.

    2 Tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter, ⅛ heaping teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

  • Enable chocolate to take a seat at room temperature till agency, then switch to a piping bag.

  • Pair off cooled macaron shells and pipe ganache onto the underside of 1 shell earlier than sandwiching with one other equally sized macaron shell.

Notes

Aged egg whites

Growing older egg whites is really helpful (extra element on this within the put up). To do that, measure egg whites right into a clear, dry measuring cup, cowl with plastic wrap and poke a number of holes within the floor. Enable egg whites to take a seat a minimum of 24 hours within the fridge earlier than bringing to room temperature and continuing with the recipe. Growing older isn’t necessary, however it may be useful should you’ve struggled along with your meringue prior to now or if you’re new to macarons.

Cocoa powder

I want “particular darkish” cocoa because it offers the shells the deepest chocolate coloration. Nonetheless chances are you’ll substitute Dutch processed cocoa powder as a substitute.

Storing

Retailer within the fridge in an hermetic container for as much as two weeks. Take away from fridge 15-20 minutes earlier than having fun with.
Macarons may additionally be frozen in an hermetic container for a number of months. See my authentic macaron put up for extra particulars on storing/making upfront.

Vitamin

Serving: 1macaron | Energy: 167kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 3g | Fats: 11g | Saturated Fats: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fats: 2g | Trans Fats: 0.04g | Ldl cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 23mg | Potassium: 77mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 172IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg

Dietary info relies on third-party calculations and needs to be thought of an estimate solely. Precise dietary content material will differ primarily based upon manufacturers used, measuring strategies, cooking technique, portion sizes, and extra.