Chocolate macarons

The chocolate macarons recipe with a delicious whipped milk chocolate ganache, the sweetness of chocolate in a perfect and easy to prepare dessert.

Chocolate macarons

The macarons, this very Parisien French dessert composed of 2 small crunchy cakes with a perfect round shape sandwiched together and topped with a creamy macaron cream or ganache.

Also, it is a very trendy and perfect dessert for which we tear our hair out, looking for the famous "collerette" this small crust that appears on the edges of the macarons. 

But to make macarons, there are 2 schools (basic recipes):

• French meringue
• Italian meringue

And I chose the recipe for Italian meringue macarons. (you don't change a winning team !)

Chocolate macaron with Italian meringue

This is the recipe for chocolate macarons made with an Italian meringue (cooked syrup poured into the egg whites) and filled with a milk chocolate ganache.

My materials and ingredients to make this macaron recipe

• Perforated baking tray
• Silicone baking mat or macarons baking mat
  
• Stand mixer
• Cooking thermometer
• Soft silicone spatula
• Pastry sieve
• Unsweetened cocoa powder
• Almond meal
• Icing sugar
• Disposable pastry bag
• Macaron round icing tip 4 inch
  
• Milk chocolate callets
• Electric mixer

How to make macarons

Make the chocolate macarons

1. Start by mixing together the dry ingredients, almond meal, icing sugar and unsweetened cocoa powder and sieve them through a pastry sieve in a container.
2. Then add the egg whites to this dry mixture until a smooth, homogeneous and sticky paste is obtained.
3. Then place the powdered sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat and check the temperature with a kitchen thermometer, which should reach an initial temperature of 237°F /114°C.
4. And as soon as this temperature is reached, place the remaining egg whites in the vat of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk and beat at medium speed, the mixture forms bubbles and begins to whiten like a mousse.
5. Finally, at 244°F / 118°C, immediately pour the sugar syrup over the egg whites in a net on the edge of the bowl and switch your stand mixer to high speed.
6. And let the stand mixer run until you obtain an Italian meringue, white, shiny, firm and above all cooled. (check the temperature by touching the bottom of the bowl).
7. Then incorporate ⅓ of the Italian meringue into the first mixture and mix quickly to loosen the mixture.
8. And now incorporate all the remaining Italian meringue and this time mix gently with a soft spatula, starting from the outer edges and ending in the center of the mixture. (until you get a homogeneous, relaxed macaroon dough and when you lift the dough with the spatula you can see a ribbon of dough).

Poaching and cooking of macarons

1. Finally, place your chocolate macaron preparation in a large pastry bag fitted with a 4 ich round nozzle.
2. And on a baking tray covered with baking paper (with the macarons template attached) or on macarons baking mat, poach your macarons shells.
3. Finish by tapping the top of the baking tray to remove bubbles from the macaron areas and obtain smooth macarons.
4. And bake your macarons immediately in the preheated oven without opening the oven while baking.
5. After baking, let your macarons cool down on the baking tray before gently peeling them off.

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Download and print this template for macarons :

• macarons template

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Preparation of the milk chocolate ganache for macaroons

1. First place the milk chocolate cut into pieces in a container.
2. And bring the whole liquid cream in a saucepan to a boil over medium heat.
3. Then pour the hot liquid cream over the chocolate in 2 batches, stirring between each addition until a smooth milk chocolate ganache is obtained.
4. Finally cover the chocolate ganache with cling film and leave it to cool completely in the fridge. (overnight)

Macaron assembly

1. Start by taking the milk chocolate ganache out of the fridge and with an electric mixer set up the milk chocolate ganache for about 2 minutes.
2. And garnish a pastry bag with this whipped milk chocolate ganache.
3. Then garnish half of the macaron shells with this ganache and cover with a second shell of the same diameter.
4. Finish by placing your macarons in the fridge at least 20 minutes before serving them.

How to store the macarons

The filled macarons can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days because they are made with a whipped chocolate ganache, but you can also keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months.

how to make a success of the macarons

• Use ingredients at room temperature (especially egg whites).
• Weigh all the ingredients carefully
• Do not over-mix the macaron preparation (as soon as the dough forms the famous "ribbon" it's ready! ).
• Italian meringue method = no crusting of the shells (you can cook the macarons immediately)
• Be careful when baking, do not open the oven for the first 6 minutes (you can turn the baking tray halfway through the baking process)
• Apply to the poaching, hold the pouch vertically on the baking sheet.

Others macarons recipes

• Raspberry and chocolate macarons
• White chocolate macarons