Chocolate Macarons
8 servings
90 minutes
Chocolate macarons are an exquisite dessert of French cuisine, embodying sophistication and delicacy. Their history dates back to the Middle Ages, but they took on their modern form thanks to Parisian pastry chefs of the 19th century. These airy almond cookies with a crispy shell and soft center are filled with rich chocolate ganache, creating a harmony of flavors. The light bitterness of cocoa highlights the sweetness, while the almond base adds a subtle nutty note. Macarons are not just a treat but a symbol of French gastronomy, often used for elegant gifts and festive treats. Their preparation requires precision and patience, but the result is worth the effort: elegant, fragile pastries that melt in your mouth, leaving a rich chocolate aftertaste.
1
Preheat the oven to 150 degrees.
2
Mix ground almonds, powdered sugar, and cocoa in a blender. Then pour this mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, place it in the oven for about 5 minutes to dry, and sift through a very fine sieve.
- Ground almonds: 110 g
- Cocoa: 25 g
- Powdered sugar: 225 g
3
Whip the egg whites, gradually adding sugar. Add the almond-sugar mixture to the egg whites, mix well with a spatula, add the coloring, and mix well again. The egg mixture should be thick.
- Egg white: 4 pieces
- Fine white sugar: 50 g
- Red food coloring: 1 teaspoon
4
Place this mixture in a pastry bag with a nozzle about 8 mm in diameter. Squeeze out circles about 3 cm in diameter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
5
Leave the baking tray on the table for 1 hour to form a crust. This is a very important phase; if the crust does not form, the surface of the pastries will crack during baking. You can check for the crust by lightly touching the surface of the egg mixture with your finger. If your finger does not stick, you can place it in the oven and bake.
6
Bake in a preheated oven for 12 minutes, turning the tray 180 degrees after 6 minutes for even baking. The cookies should rise slightly.
7
It is advisable to prepare the ganache layer for pastries a day in advance. Ganache cooks very quickly but takes a long time to set. Chop the chocolate into small pieces. Bring the milk and cream to a boil. Add the chocolate pieces, stirring constantly, bring to a boil, remove from heat, and immediately pour into a deep plate, cover tightly with plastic wrap, let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight.
- Chocolate 53%: 125 g
- Milk: 125 ml
- Heavy cream: 30 g
8
Take out of the refrigerator 2-3 hours before use.
9
Once the macarons cool, pipe a layer from a pastry bag onto half of them and cover with the other halves so that the ganache is between the macarons.