~Level: hard ~Time: 2 hours ~Budget: medium.
Macarons are meringue based 'cookies' with a slightly crisp exterior and a soft, gooey interior. These delicate, flavourful French confections have gained immense popularity worldwide. Macarons have a long history, believed to have originated in Italy during the Renaissance period. However, they became famous as a French delicacy, particularly associated with the city of Paris. One of the most appealing aspects of macarons is the wide range of flavours they come in and the different fillings they can have. Typically, they are filled with either ganache, buttercream, or jam. The filling adds extra moisture and flavour to the delicate shells.
Macarons have become a trendy dessert item, often featured in upscale bakeries, patisseries, and cafes around the world. They are also a popular choice for weddings, parties, and other special occasions. Despite their popularity, macarons can be notoriously difficult to perfect. Factors such as humidity, oven temperature, and overmixing can affect their texture and appearance. Many bakers consider mastering the art of macaron-making to be a true culinary achievement.
In this recipe, the shells are chocolate-flavoured, and the filling is a chocolate ganache.
Gooey Chocolate Macarons
Ingredients
150g almond flour
200g powdered sugar
20g cocoa powder
½ tsp fine sea salt
140g egg whites (about 4 eggs)
100g granulated white sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
230g chocolate chips
160g heavy cream
Method
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Sift the almond flour, powdered sugar, cacao powder and salt; first all separate, then all together in a large bowl. Any big clumps that don't fit through the strainer can be discarded. Set aside.
In the bowl of a (large) standmixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the egg whites until foamy (about 30-40 seconds). Then add in the white sugar while continuing the whipping. Keep going until soft peaks are formed. Then add the vanilla extract and mix only slightly just to combine.
Mix in half of the dry sieved ingredients vigorously by hand with a spatula. Once combined, add the other half and keep folding until the right consistency is reached: thick enough to hold it's shape, but not too thick to hold peaks.
Transfer the mixture into a piping bag with a large round tip. Pipe rounds of dough on to the 2 sheets of parchment paper. Try to fit as many as you can on each sheet, but make sure they don't touch each other. To avoid getting a pointy top, swirl your piping bag around when finishing each circle of dough.
Once your sheet is full, tap it gently on the counter top to smooth out the surfaces. You can also use a toothpick to smooth out bubbles or peaks. Leave the dough to rest for 30-60 minutes on the counter top.
Near the end of your resting period, preheat the oven to 150°C. Once ready, bake the macarons for 20 minutes. They should have formed a 'foot' on the bottom and look shiny and dry on top. Let them completely cool down.
In the mean time, make your ganache filling. In a medium bowl, add the chocolate chips and the heavy cream and melt in the microwave. Make sure to stir every minute so that the chocolate doesn't burn. Set aside and let it cool for 30-60 minutes. Then transfer the ganache to the bowl of your stand mixer with whisk attachment, and whip for about 3 minutes, until the ganache get's lighter in colour and texture.
Once everything has cooled off, peel the macarons off the parchment paper and make matching pairs based on the size. Transfer the ganache into a piping bag with round tip, and pipe a generous amount into the center of each shell. Top with its pair and gently press together until the ganache becomes visible on the sides.
Refrigerate for a few hours before serving to allow the shells to pick up the moisture of the ganache and become nice and gooey in the center.
Wine pairing
A heavy, decadent, chocolate dessert calls for a full bodied wine, high in tannins. This would be a great opportunity to open an aged Cabernet Sauvignon, which will enhance all of the delicious chocolate flavours.
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