Macaroons. The French answer to making the world a better place. Our French chocolate macaroons are not only tiny delights of pleasure, but they are simple and fun to make. Whether you want to make them a chocolate dessert or a snack, they are a crowd-pleaser and are guaranteed to brighten up any day.
Although you get many flavours, of course our favourite would be the chocolate ones. They are a fancy, petite treat that can be enjoyed with a lovely cup of tea or coffee, with friends over brunch, or in combination with some mini chocolate cakes during afternoon tea service.
How to make chocolate macaroons?
Known to be a tricky piece of work, macaroons need a lot of attention, love and care when being baked. There are no unusual ingredients or steps in the method but as they are light and delicate, it is important to assemble and back with care. Mastering our French chocolate macaroons may inspire you to try more of our pastry delicacies.
If you have a bit of a sweet tooth, you might enjoy more of our other chocolate recipes like our butterscotch chocolate chip blondies or hot chocolate soaked french toast.
French Chocolate Macaroons Recipe
By Published: May 27, 2015
- Yield: 25 macaroons
- Prep: 30 mins
- Cook: 30 mins
- Ready In: 2 hrs 0 min
A French, delicate and sophisticated recipe to impress. Our French chocolate macaroons are like drops of heaven that melt in your mouth and leave you wanting more each time. Simple flavours, who needs anything other than chocolate?
Ingredients
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup almond flour or almond meal
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs large, just the whites
- cream of tartar
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate finely chopped
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter room temp, in cubes
Instructions
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Fit a large pastry bag with a 1/2 inch plain tip. You can also use a freezer bag with a corner cut out.
- Combine the powdered sugar, almond flour, cocoa powder and salt in a food processer and pulsate several times to aerate. Mix until fine (around 30 seconds), sift into a bowl and set aside.
- Using the egg whites, make a meringue by whisking until opaque and foamy. Add a pinch of the cream of tartar and whisk at a higher speed until white and firm.
- Continue to beat the mixture but also start slowly adding the granulated sugar. Keep beating until all the sugar is combined, the peaks are stiff and the meringue is shiny.
- Using a spatula, fold in the dry mixture to the meringue slowly in batches. The meringue will deflate. Continue until the mixture is well combined. Stop folding when there are no more traces of egg whites and the mixture looks like cake batter and runs slowly.
- Bake the macaroons, one sheet at a time for 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, rotate the sheet and cook for another 7 minutes. When cooked, leave to cool completely.
- Transfer the batter to the pastry bag and pipe out around 25 rounds per sheet, about 1 inch apart. Leave to sit at room temperature for half an hour.
- For the ganache, warm the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just starts to boil. Stir in the chocolate without creating bubbles. Let sit for one minute before adding the butter, stir until smooth. Keep in the fridge for half an hour until it becomes thick but spreadable.
- To assemble, pair similar size macaroon biscuits together. Either pipe the ganache or use a teaspoon to set a small amount on the middle of one macaroon. Squish the other macaroon gently to create your whole. Cover and refirgerate overnight.
