Chocolate Macarons

Chocolate French Macarons are naturally gluten-free, visually appealing, and wonderful to eat. The delicious and easy dark chocolate ganache filling elevates these to holiday cookie tray status!

Ingredients :

For the ganache filling

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

For the macaron shells

• 1 1/4 cups (100g) blanched almond meal

• 3/4 cup (80g) powdered sugar

• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder

• Distilled white vinegar, for cleaning the bowl

• 2 or 3 large (80g) room temperature egg whites

• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

• 1/3 cup (80g) sugar

Special Equipment

• 1 (12 to 18-inch) pastry bag

• Small round #12 Wilton tip

STEPS :

     1. Heat the cream :

Pour the heavy cream into a small pot. Cook for 5 minutes over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat as soon as it reaches a mild boil.

     2. Whisk in the chocolate :

A medium heatproof bowl should now contain the chocolate chunks. Pour the heated cream over the chocolate and set aside for 1 minute. Whisk until completely blended and smooth. Put aside while you prepare the shells. Do not place in the refrigerator!

     3. Sift the dry ingredients :

Over a big bowl, place a sifter or fine mesh sieve. Sift the almond meal, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder into the bowl using a sifter or sieve. Remove any large chunks of almond meal. Put aside the dry ingredients.

     4. Wipe out your mixing bowl :

Wipe off the inside of a 4- or 5-quart mixing bowl with a damp paper towel dipped in vinegar. A glass or metal bowl would be ideal!

     5. Make the meringue :

Add the egg whites to the mixing bowl and whisk for 1 to 2 minutes on medium-low speed with a stand mixer or handheld mixer, until the egg whites are frothy but not holding their shape.

For this stage, I use a Kitchen Aid mixer on speed 3. It will take a little longer if you use an electric handheld mixer set on medium. Follow the visual prompts for completion.

Whisk for 3 minutes after adding the cream of tartar. The egg whites will have gained a little volume, seem dull, and will no longer keep their shape at this time.

While the mixer is still running, slowly drizzle in the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. When all of the sugar has been added, increase the speed to medium and whisk for about 2 minutes. The volume of the egg whites will have increased, they will be white, and they will appear thick. For this stage, I use a Kitchen Aid mixer on speed 4.

Continue to whisk for 3 minutes, or until the mixture becomes glossy and begins to pull away from the edges of the bowl. There will be some ridges in the center near the whisk, suggesting that it is ready.

     6. Check for stiff peaks :

Stop the mixer, remove the whisk from the egg whites, and flip it upside down. It should have a stiff meringue peak that bends slightly at the very tip but does not slide off the whisk.

If the peak curls or falls over, whisk the meringue for another 1 to 2 minutes. If the meringue becomes lumpy or curdled, the egg whites have been overwhipped, and you must begin again.

     7. Fold in the dry ingredients :

One-third of the dry ingredients should be added to the meringue. Fold them together carefully with a rubber spatula. Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients, one-third at a time, until completely blended.

     8. Scrape the batter :

Scrape the batter against and along the edges of the bowl with a rubber spatula to remove some of the air. Repeat 5 or 6 times. It is critical to remove some of the air from the batter since too much air may cause the shells to break while baking.

     9. Test the batter :

Pick up some batter with a rubber spatula and drizzle it over the batter in the bowl. It should run down the drain like honey.

Make a figure eight with it over the batter. After 10 to 20 seconds, the figure 8 should begin to sink back into the batter but not completely disappear.

If the batter fails the figure 8 test, fold it twice with a rubber spatula, then check it again, and repeat until it passes!

     10. Pipe the shells :

Invert two big baking sheets and line the bottom (which is now the top!) with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Put them aside.

Fit a 12- to 18-inch pastry bag with a small round pastry tip—I use a Wilton small #12 round tip.

Scrape the batter into the piping bag using a rubber spatula. Twist the pastry bag's top so that the batter doesn't slip out while you're holding it.

To help secure the parchment, pipe a small dot of batter in each corner of the baking sheet.

Pipe 1- to 1 1/2-inch rounds 2 inches apart from each other on the prepared baking sheets. For evenly proportioned and precisely round shells, the pastry tip should point directly down, not at an angle. If the piping has left a pointed tip on the tops, smooth them out gently with an offset spatula or the back of a tiny spoon. You'll receive 30 to 32 rounds, enough for 15 or 16 macarons.

     11. Remove more air bubbles :

Take a firm grip on the sides of the baking sheet and tap it hard against the counter. Small air bubbles may form and pop on the surface of the shells. If desired, pop them with the sharp pointy end of a toothpick. Rotate the baking sheet as required to evenly tap all sides.

     12. Rest the shells :

Let 30 to 40 minutes for the shells to rest. If your home is humid, it could take up to an hour. When the shells appear matte and you can touch them without them clinging to your finger or leaving a mark, they are ready to bake.

     13. Bake the shells :

Preheat the oven to 300°F with the oven rack in the center.

Bake the shells for 13 minutes, one baking sheet at a time. As the timer goes off, open the oven door cautiously and delicately touch the top of a shell. The top of the shell should not shift from where it contacts the pan at the foot. Bake for 1 minute more if it shifts slightly.

     14. Cool the shells :

Set the baking sheet on a wire cooling rack to cool. Let the shells to completely cool before removing them from the mat. Try not to lift them with a spatula or other utensil, especially if they are stuck.

Once completely cool, carefully peel the baking mat or parchment paper away from the shells with your hands. The shells should readily peel off if they are totally cool.

     15. Pair the shells :

Pair up similar-sized shells and place them on your counter. The chocolate ganache will be filled into each pair.

     16. Fill with the chocolate ganache :

Insert a round #12 Wilton tip into a small piping bag. Scrape the chocolate ganache into the pastry bag with a rubber spatula. Twist the pastry bag's top so that the ganache doesn't leak out while you're holding it.

Pipe a ganache dollop the size of a tablespoon onto one of the paired shells. Cover it with its corresponding shell. Repeat with the remaining macarons.

     17. Mature the macaron shells :

Place the macarons in an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 12 hours to soften for the best texture. This is referred to as maturing.