She Strengthens

The Art of Crafting Perfect Chocolate Macarons

Who can resist the allure of delicate, colorful macarons displayed in French patisseries? These dainty sandwich cookies have a way of transforming sophisticated adults into wide-eyed children. While innovative flavor combinations and vibrant hues are undeniably captivating, classic chocolate macarons filled with rich chocolate ganache remain a timeless favorite. As an added bonus, these treats are naturally gluten-free.

Demystifying the Macaron-Making Process

Contrary to their reputation, macarons are not excessively difficult to make. However, they do require attention to detail and a gentle touch to achieve the perfect texture and appearance. Don’t be discouraged if your first attempts don’t turn out as beautifully as those in the shop windows – with practice, you’ll soon be creating delicious, visually stunning macarons.

Tips for Success

To ensure your macarons turn out perfectly, remember to:

• Let the raw macaron rounds sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to dry the tops and ensure even cooking.
• Avoid overmixing the meringue or batter, as this can lead to dense, unappealing macarons.
• Use older egg whites, as they will produce a more stable meringue.

Special Equipment and Ingredients

You’ll need a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch tip to pipe the macaron batter onto the baking sheet. If you don’t have one, you can either spoon round dollops of batter onto the sheet or create a makeshift pastry bag using a large resealable plastic freezer bag.

Almond meal or almond flour is a crucial ingredient in macaron-making. You can grind blanched almonds into a fine powder if you can’t find almond flour/meal in stores.

Recipe: Chocolate Macarons with Chocolate Ganache Filling

Yield: About 25 cookies
Difficulty: Hard
Total Time: About 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours, plus chilling time
Active Time: About 25 minutes

Ingredients:

For the macarons:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup almond flour or almond meal
• 3 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
• Pinch cream of tartar
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

For the ganache filling:

• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 stick), at room temperature and cut into cubes

Instructions:

For the Macarons:

1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Fit a large pastry bag with a 1/2-inch plain tip and set aside.
3. Process the powdered sugar, almond flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a food processor until fine and combined.
4. Sift the mixture through a flour sifter into a large bowl and set aside.
5. Make a meringue by beating the egg whites in a stand mixer until opaque and foamy.
6. Add the cream of tartar and granulated sugar, and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
7. Fold the dry mixture into the egg whites in four batches until just combined.
8. Transfer the batter to the pastry bag and pipe onto the prepared baking sheets.
9. Let the rounds sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to dry the tops.
10. Heat the oven to 350°F and bake the macarons one sheet at a time for 7 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through.

For the Ganache Filling:

1. Place the chopped chocolate in a large bowl.
2. Warm the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just starts to boil.
3. Stir the cream into the chocolate without creating bubbles, then let sit for 1 minute.
4. Add the butter and stir until smooth.
5. Chill the ganache in the refrigerator until thickened but still spreadable, about 30 minutes.

To Assemble:

1. Pair macarons of similar size.
2. Remove the ganache from the refrigerator and transfer it to a resealable plastic bag.
3. Squeeze or scoop the ganache onto the center of a macaron half, then top with another half and press gently.
4. Refrigerate, covered, at least 24 hours before serving.