Kirbie's Cravings

Chocolate Macarons

French Macarons are meringue-based cookies that are sandwiched together with a filling. They are crispy on the outside with a chewy texture on the inside and, while they are challenging to make, once you learn the basic technique there are endless flavor combinations. These chocolate macarons filled with an espresso ganache are one of my favorites and in this post, I share all of my tips so you can make them, too!

photo of chocolate macarons stacked on a plate

As I alluded to in my macaron ice cream sandwich post, after my first attempt at macarons, I was eager to try again. Of course, because the recipe requires egg whites aged for 48 hours I had to wait.

I debated whether to stick to the same recipe or check out another one. Annie had blogged about chocolate macarons as being her first successful attempt. This seemed like a sign. Of course, like Annie, I was slightly concerned. I had read an article by David Lebovitz that chocolate macarons are the hardest to master.

close-up photo of a chocolate macaron

However, Annie’s recipe seemed simple enough and she had success with it. So, I gave it a shot. Learning from my mistakes on my first attempt, this time the process of making macarons went pretty smoothly. And rather than having some misshapen shells, almost all my macarons puffed up completely and had perfectly round circles. Hooray!

photo of three macarons on a plate

Ingredients

For the cookies you’ll need:

  • Blanched almond flour
  • Confectioner’s sugar
  • Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • Egg whites aged for 24 to 48 hours at room temperature
  • Granulated sugar

Recipe Steps

Combine the almond flour, sugar, and cocoa powder in a bowl. In a stand mixer, whip the egg whites with the whisk attachment until they are foamy.

With the mixer running, gradually add the granulated sugar to the egg whites and beat them until they turn into a smooth and shiny meringue that holds stiff peaks.

Fold in the almond flour mixture. Carefully fold it into the eggs whites and don’t stir. You don’t want to deflate them. When mixed, the batter will be thick and create ribbons when you lift the whisk.

Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe 1 to 1 ½” circles onto a prepared baking sheet. Space them two inches apart and then leave them to rest at room temperature for an hour.

Bake the macarons for eight to ten minutes at 300°F. Place the hot pans on baking racks and let the cookies cool completely. Don’t move the cookies off the baking sheet while they’re hot.

photo of chocolate macarons lined up on a plate

Espresso Ganache Filling

Once the macaron shells are baked the hard part is over! The filling is a simple ganache flavored with espresso and is easy to make.

  • Warm cream, butter, and sugar in a saucepan on the stove. Once it’s hot, pour it over chopped chocolate in a bowl. Let it stand for two minutes and then gently whisk it until combined and uniform. Add some espresso powder to the ganache and stir to combine
  • As the ganache cools it will thicken. Transfer it to a piping bag and you are ready to fill your macaron shells.
  • When I’m ready to fill the shells, I like to match them up by size so the cookies are uniform. Pipe some of the espresso ganache filling on the flat side of one shell. Top the ganache with the other shell with the flat side on the ganache.
  • You can store the chocolate macarons in an airtight container at room temperature or you can freeze them in an airtight container for several months.

Recipe Tips

I’ve learned a lot after making two batches of chocolate macarons and while I’m no master yet at making them, I did feel like these chocolate macarons were easier to make than the matcha macarons I made earlier. Here are my tips for making them:

  • Macaron shells are made with confectioner’s sugar, egg whites, granulated sugar, and, for this version, cocoa powder. I recommend using Dutch-process cocoa powder for this recipe.
  • You will also need blanched almond flour. I like to use JK Gourmet Almond Flour*.
  • Macarons are all about precision so it’s very important to use a kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients. In my research, this is one thing that was repeated over and over. Without a scale, you risk altering the ingredient amounts which will change the texture and appearance of your cookies.
  • Although it sounds weird, you must age your egg whites at room temperature for 48 hours. This aging process reduces the amount of moisture in the egg whites making it easier to whip them into a stiff meringue. The consistency of the meringue is important in creating a macaron shell with the right texture.
  • Macaron shells should be nice and firm on the outside. After piping them onto the baking sheet you should let them sit at room temperature for about an hour. This allows them to set up properly before they are baked. Recipes may vary in how long to let the shells set before baking and I found for these chocolate ones an hour was the right length of time.
  • Sometimes it helps to see the process so be sure to check out this great video with step by step for making macarons.

photo of chocolate macarons piled on a plate

Macarons are fun to make and if they don’t turn out perfect they’re still delicious. I definitely want to make these again and give them as gifts.

More Macaron Posts

When I’m not making them, I love finding new macarons to buy and try and so here are a few posts about places I’ve found some favorites!

  • Honey & Butter Macarons  | Located in Orange county Honey & Butter Macarons sells all sorts of macarons out of their super charming trailer/store including special character macarons that are so cute!
  • Pierre Herme  | Some of the best macarons I’ve ever had were from Pierre Herme and I’ve been lucky enough to visit them twice in Paris. Their macarons are so unique!
  • ‘Lette Macarons  | While I don’t love all the flavors they sell here, this macaron shop is worth a visit if you’re in Los Angeles. The store is very cute and I love their Madagascar vanilla, violet cassis and passion fruit flavored macarons.

Or for more cookie recipes try my homemade madeleines or coconut macaroons.

Chocolate Macarons

Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 48 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Macarons can be a challenge to make but this recipe helped me make my first successful chocolate macarons.

Ingredients

  • 110 g blanched almond flour (see note)
  • 200 g minus 2 tbsp confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder Dutch-process preferred
  • 100 g aged egg whites from about 3 eggs, aged at room temperature for 24-48 hours
  • 50 g granulated sugar

For the Espresso Ganache

  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 4 tbsp bittersweet chocolate finely chopped
  • tsp espresso powder

Instructions

  • Add the confectioners' sugar, almond flour and cocoa powder to the bowl and process until blended. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until foamy.
  • Gradually add the granulated sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Add the ground almond mixture to the bowl. Fold in the meringue until no egg streaks remain. Your batter should be thick and if you lift up the spatula, the batter should come off in a ribboning motion.
  • Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a plain wide round tip. Pipe rounds of batter on prepared baking sheets, each about 1½ inches in diameter and spaced about 2 inches apart. Let the piped batter sit at room temperature for about an hour to develop a hard shell.
  • Preheat the oven to 300°F. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Transfer the pans to a wire cooling rack and let cool completely before moving the cookies.
  • While the cookies are cooling, make the ganache. Combine the cream, butter and sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Place the chopped chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. Bring the cream mixture to a simmer, remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Whisk together until smooth. Mix in the espresso powder. Let the mixture cool until it is thick enough to pipe.
  • Once the cookies are completely cooled, match them up in pairs. Pipe a layer of ganache onto the flat side of one cookie of each pair. Sandwich together with the remaining cookie, pushing the filling to the edges. Store in an airtight container.

Notes

  • I used JK Gourmet Almond Flour*
  • Recipe found on Every Day Annie who got the recipe from Use Real Butter, who adapted it from Tartlette
  • *Some of the links contained in this post are affiliate links. Much like referral codes, this means I earn a small commission if you purchase a product I referred (at no extra charge to you).

The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.

Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Mention @KirbieCravings and tag #kirbiecravings!

 

Subscribe to receive new post updates via email

don’t miss a thing!

Get new post updates via email:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




17 comments on “Chocolate Macarons”

  1. hi, your macaroons look a bit flatter than they should be… perhaps, you overmixed the batter a bit? 😉

  2. I also did Annie’s macarons but turned out as meringues 🙁 I might try again but I’m too scared.

  3. Pingback: Chocolate Macarons | Online REL

  4. Pingback: Matcha macarons | Kirbie Cravings

  5. Pingback: What are good alternatives for chocolate in Valentine-grams? | Belgian Chocolate Truffles

  6. Pingback: Chocolate Felt Cake (Handmade Music Box)- Shirley’s Workshop | Belgian Chocolate Truffles

  7. Pingback: Nice Best Chocolates photos | Belgian Chocolate Truffles

  8. Hi LT, I hope you continue to visit my site. I don’t have much association with the xanga site..I gave them permission a long time ago to put up some of my posts as long as they give me credit. But I’m never notified about my posts being put up, comments, and they often change/alter things in my posts.

  9. Thanks so much for sharing! I was directed here from xanga/ireallylikefood and I’m really anxious to try out this and the Matcha recipe. They look gorgeous and absolutely delicious!

  10. Thanks for telling me about your giveaway. I love Taiwanese snacks!

  11. I actually read this before I made these macs. I agree, this post is really helpful, though I didn’t end up using her recipe. I love all the colorful macs she made. I want to do that too!

  12. Thanks! I love macarons. I could eat them all day.

  13. I agree about the aging the egg whites, makes a world of a difference!
    I’m having a giveaway at my blog and I would like to invite you to participate at https://atasteofkoko.blogspot.com/2010/07/ximending-giveaway.html

  14. These macs look really awesome, and anything chocolate is always better. 🙂 If you want more macaron tips, one of my other fav bloggers went a little mac crazy earlier this year and has practically a “book” with tips, check it out: https://notsohumblepie.blogspot.com/2010/04/macarons-101-french-meringue.html

  15. macaroons are so delicious and fun. such a treat for everyone! yours look terrific!