Chocolate macaroons, recipe and tips - french macarons

Ingredients

For 30 macarons:

For the ganache :

• 100 ml cream
• 100 g chocolate

For the shells :

• 4 egg whites
• 1.5 cup icing sugar
• 1 cup powdered almonds
• 4 tablespoons cocoa powder

Materials

• 1 blender
• 1 sieve
• 1 baking tray
• 1 pastry bag
• 1 plain tip
• 1 silicone spatula
• 1 saucepan
• 1 whisk
• 1 food processor
• 1 salad bowl

Preparation

• Prepare the ganache first so that it has time to cool:
  Heat the cream in a saucepan, then add the chocolate and whisk until melted. Set aside.
• Whisk the egg whites until stiff. When they begin to foam, gradually add the powdered sugar. You should whisk until the meringue forms what is called in French 'bec d'oiseau' (bird's beak), which is a nice peak when you lift the whisk.
  
• Finely blend the almond powder and cocoa, then sift well.
• To this powder mixture, add the meringue eggs. Then, using a spatula, "macaroon" the mixture: mix starting from the middle and lifting outwards. Once the powders are well mixed with the meringue, stop macaronning.
  
• Place in a piping bag and shape the shells on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Set the piping at right angles to the baking sheet, and almost stick it to the paper to form beautiful shells. Try to make the shells as regular in size as possible, to make them easier to match.
• Leave to dry for an hour before placing in the oven: this is called crusting. If your hulls are not smooth at this stage, they will probably be grated.
  Bake for 15 minutes at 300°F/150°C (between 285°F/140°C and 310°F/155°C depending on the oven).
  
• Once the shells have cooled, use a piping bag to apply ganache to one, then close with another: this is the marriage.
• And now your macaroons are ready to eat. If the shells haven't formed properly, don't worry, you'll still have delicious macaroons! And you can find more tips in the Comments section below.
  

Observations

The ganache: remember to prepare it first. This will give it time to cool, so you can use it as soon as the macaroons are ready.
The egg whites: ideally, put them in a bowl the day before and leave them at room temperature. Take plenty of time to beat the egg whites until stiff, otherwise they may become grainy. You'll need a good 15 minutes to get them to rise properly, which is why it's a good idea to have a food processor ;-)
The almond powder: you can roast it at the start of the recipe to guarantee success (10 min at 300°F/150°C).
Macaronning: this step can be carried out with a food processor fitted with a sheet instead of a whisk, all at minimum power. Once you can no longer see the powders, you're done! You mustn't macaroon for too long, as this could break the consistency of your mixture, which is essential for the formation of the collars.
Crusting: this step is not necessarily necessary, as it depends on your appliance and oven, but we do recommend it.
Oven degrees: it's very difficult to give an exact baking temperature for macaroons. It will depend on the oven you're using... You'll be able to tell by the size of the collars. If they're small and thin, your oven is probably a little too hot.
A piping bag: this is essential for forming the macaroons on the baking tray.
Storage: don't store macaroons in the fridge. What's more, they'll often be better (softer and more melting) the next day, or even the day after that.

Cookware

Attributes

Questions

Photos of members who cooked this recipe