CHOCOLATE MACARONS
INGREDIENTS
1 loose cup powdered sugar (95 g)
¾ cup almond flour (72 g)
1 tbsp cocoa powder 1 tbsp)
2 egg whites
¼ cup granulated sugar (50 g)
1 batch chocolate ganache
INSTRUCTIONS
In a medium bowl, sift together powdered sugar, almond flour, and cocoa powder. Whisk together until combined.
In a separate bowl, beat egg whites on high until foamy. Gradually add in granulated sugar, and continue mixing until stiff peaks are formed.
Sift the dry mix into the meringue in thirds, gently folding between each addition. Once all the dry ingredients are added, continue to fold the batter, paying extremely close attention to the consistency. Once you can form a figure eight without the batter breaking, stop immediately and fill the piping bag. Pipe onto tray 1-inch circles, about 1 inch apart.
Tap your tray on a smooth, hard surface (such as a table) about 4 times to get rid of air bubbles.
Let the macarons sit for 15-60 minutes, or until they are dry (the time it takes to dry constantly fluctuates depending on location, humidity, etc.).
Bake at 300F (150C) for about 16-18 minutes.
Let them cool and pipe a dollop of chocolate ganache on one macaron shell and make a little sandwich with another macaron. Enjoy!
NOTES & TIPS
You can freeze unfilled macarons for up to 2 months in an airtight container, or up to two weeks in the fridge.
It's important to whisk the meringue until stiff peaks form, being sure not to underwhip it, but overwhipping can also lead to hollow shells and large air bubbles with spread out feet. Underwhipping the meringue can result in a cracked macaron with fragile tops.
Make sure the macaron rests until it is dry! Baking macarons that aren't completely dry often results in cracked shells and little/no feet. At the same time, leaving the macarons to dry for too long can result in hollow shells, so be sure to put them in the oven right after you first feel that no batter comes off on your finger when you touch the shells.
During macaronage stage (folding the batter), make sure to stop mixing the batter once it reaches the "ribbon" stage and you can form a figure eight without the batter breaking. Overmixed batter will lead to a flat macaron with crispy shells and crinkly tops.