Chocolate macarons
Macarons are small crispy cakes made from Italian meringue. The shells are baked with cocoa and layered with a delicious dark chocolate ganache, giving the chocolate macarons a pleasant texture – crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Macarons require patience and precision, but you will be rewarded with small, elegant cakes that can be served for any occasion all year round. Serve the delicate chocolate macarons with black coffee, freshly-made tea, or champagne; it does not get any more French than a glass of champagne and a platter of beautiful macarons.
Ingredients
Ganache
Dark chocolate (approx. 55% cocoa) | 175 g |
|---|---|
Double cream | 1¾ dl |
Macaron shells
Almond flour (approx. 3 ¾ dl) | 150 g |
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Icing sugar (approx. 3 dl) | 150 g |
Cocoa powder | 4 tsp |
Egg whites (approx. 120 g) | 4 |
Sugar (approx. 1 ¾ dl) | 150 g |
Water | ½ dl |
Instructions
Ganache
Macaron shells
Assembling the chocolate macarons
Tips
If the chocolate macarons still have air bubbles after you have banged the tray against the kitchen table, use a toothpick to pop smaller air bubbles in the shells.
Tips
Make sure the oven temperature is not too high or that the batter gets overmixed, as this can affect the texture and look of the macaron shells, and they may spread outwards on the baking paper. Baked macarons should have ruffles around the edges of the shells. These ruffles are referred to as feet and prevent the macarons from spreading.
Tips
The chocolate macarons are ready to eat right away, but they can also be placed in the fridge for a day, so the ganache and cocoa shells can set when assembled. After this, they can keep in the refrigerator for approx. 5 days – preferably in a cake tin so they can breathe.
Questions about macarons
French macarons are a delicate sweet treat, perfect as a little snack between meals. With our recipe, you can enjoy delicious homemade chocolate macarons with smooth shells and a ganache filling whenever you feel like it. We have answered some of the most frequently asked questions about the French macaron, so you get the best result. Read below to find out more!
What is a chocolate macaron?
How do you make a chocolate macaron?
What does a macaron taste like?
Do macarons have to be refrigerated?
What is the difference between a macaroon and a macaron?
Can you freeze macaron shells?
Chocolate macarons – a French classic
Discover another French classic with our recipe for delicious chocolate macarons filled with a rich, dark chocolate ganache. These delicate cakes have a nice chewy texture with a little bit of crunch. The chocolate macaron shells are made from a cocoa meringue base and have a smooth surface with small, ruffled feet around the edges. The paring of sweet, nutty shells with a rich bitter chocolate flavoured filling makes these chocolate macarons the perfect snack after a meal. Enjoy the small cakes with a cup of tea or black coffee or pamper yourself the French way with a glass of champagne!
Are you impressed with our recipe for chocolate macarons? Check out other sweet snacks with our recipes for creamy chocolate fudge, soft and chewy peanut butter cookies or chocolate chip cookies.
Enjoy a macaron with dark chocolate ganache
Our chocolate macarons are a true delight for all chocolate lovers out there. Filled with a smooth and decadent filling made with dark chocolate that is melted in warm cream, these cute bite-sized confections are simply impossible to resist. Though slightly bitter, the rich deep chocolate flavour balances the sweetness from the chocolate macaron shells, making it a perfect duet. It is a 3-step process, and you only need two ingredients to make this delicious melt-in-your-mouth ganache for your chocolate macarons.
Discover delicious variations
Macarons get most of their flavour from the filling, opening the door to various flavour combinations. Change up your chocolate macarons with a ganache made from white or milk chocolate or use orange peel to give the filling a citrusy note; the chocolate ganache will cut right through the sweet, zesty orange flavour.
White or milk chocolate ganache
Not everyone favours a bitter chocolate flavour. Fill the chocolate macarons with a ganache made with white or milk chocolate using the same method in the recipe. White chocolate ganache is much sweeter and creamier with a less intense chocolate flavour. If you still want the chocolate flavour but less bitter, the milk chocolate ganache is perfect as it is sweeter – but not as sweet as the white ganache – and creamier. It is important to note that milk and white chocolate have a higher milk content compared to dark chocolate, so you may want to adjust the amount of cream and add less of it to the chocolate than listed in the recipe.
Chocolate orange macarons
Orange and chocolate are a match made in heaven as the contrasting flavours – bitter and zesty – balance each other. Give the chocolate macarons a citrusy tang by adding orange peel to the cream and bringing it to a boil in the saucepan – use large pieces of peel so you can remove them. Remove the orange peel, pour the hot cream over the finely chopped dark chocolate, and stir until the ganache is smooth and uniform. The orange-infused flavour combined with the rich, intense chocolate flavour tastes heavenly.
