About the Recipe
Macarons, a french delicacy. I was fortunate enough to travel to Paris this summer and taste a variety of amazing macaron combinations. All incredible in both flavor and texture. Little bite sized pieces of sweet luxury. Definitely something I wanted to bring home with me.
Despite the challenges in making these delicate culinary masterpieces, many home bakers like myself find the process of making macarons to be a rewarding and enjoyable culinary adventure. While macarons are indeed considered hard to make, they are not impossible. With dedication, patience, and attention to detail, anyone can master the art of baking these delicate and delectable treats.
What I think helped my macaron technique, is to be patient and handle each step with the same delicacy as the end result. Making sure to sift ingredients to ensure the most delicate of textures, remembering to delicately fold the meringue into the dry ingredients without over mixing, again to ensure the texture remains light, and I think most importantly remembering to let them rest to acheive that oh so important outer skin and then baking them at a low temperature. Step by step, handled with care and attention and I am sure your resulting macarons will be as elegant and refined as you hope them to be.
Ingredients
Macaron Shells:
1 cup (100g) almond flour
1 3/4 cups (200g) powdered sugar
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 teaspoons matcha powder
Chocolate Ganache Filling:
6 ounces (170g) high-quality dark chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (optional, for added richness)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)
A pinch of salt
Preparation
These little bites of heaven are more than just cookies; they're a celebration of artistry, taste, and the joy of sharing.
Preparing the Macaron Shells:
Begin by lining two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Tip: if you have silicone mats that have the outlined circles on them- this is helpful to make sure that the piping stays of equal proportion, helping to make your cookie sandwiches look even more professional. Although, I personally love the little touches of homemade imperfection beauty so I just eyeball it.
In a food processor, pulse the almond flour, powdered sugar and matcha powder until well combined. Sift the mixture into a large bowl, and discard any large almond bits.
In a clean, dry mixing bowl, beat the egg whites with a hand mixer or a stand mixer until they become frothy. Add the cream of tartar and continue beating. Gradually add the granulated sugar while continuing to beat. Beat until stiff, glossy peaks form.
Gently fold the meringue into the flavored almond mixture until the batter is smooth and flows like lava. Be careful not to overmix or your batter will become runny.
Tip: Be gentle and take your time whilst folding to maintain the macaron's delicate texture.
Transfer the batter into a piping bag fitted with a round tip.
Tip: You can also use a ziplock bag and cut a small corner if you do not have proper piping tools at hand.
Pipe small even 3cm circles onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about an inch apart. You can make uniform-sized macarons using a template under the parchment paper.
Tap the baking sheets on the counter to remove air bubbles and allow the macarons to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. This helps form a skin, which is essential for the macaron's texture.
(Do not skip the resting step! This helps with giving your macarons the famous 'feet' at the bottom and the thin crispy skin helps to keep the inside chewy perfection)
Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C).
Bake the macarons for 15-18 minutes or until they have formed a smooth, crisp outer shell. Let them cool completely on the baking sheets.
Preparing the ganache filling:
Begin by finely chopping the dark chocolate. The finer you chop it, the easier it will melt into the cream.
In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream over medium heat. Bring it just to a simmer, where you'll see small bubbles forming at the edges of the pan.
Place the finely chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, ensuring that all the chocolate is covered by the cream.
Allow the cream and chocolate to sit undisturbed for a minute or two. This helps the chocolate begin to melt.
After letting it sit, gently stir the chocolate and cream mixture. Start from the center and gradually work your way outward in small circles. Continue to stir until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture becomes smooth and glossy.
If you want to add extra richness and flavor, you can stir in a tablespoon of unsalted butter and a teaspoon of pure vanilla extract at this point. This step is optional, but it adds depth to the ganache.
For enhanced flavor, you can add a tiny pinch of salt to balance the sweetness of the chocolate.
Allow the ganache to cool to room temperature. It will thicken as it cools. You can speed up the cooling process by placing it in the refrigerator for about 15-20 minutes, but be sure not to let it become too firm or you will have a hard time piping it.
Once your ganache reaches the desired consistency, you can use it to fill your macarons. Simply spoon or pipe the ganache onto one macaron shell and sandwich it with another. (Be careful when squeezing the ganache between the sandwich pieces as the texture of the shells is very delicate- squeezing too hard might cause your cookies to crack and crumble).
Enjoy the delightful combination of matcha macaron shells and the rich, creamy chocolate ganache filling!
What I used for this recipe:
Matcha powder from Selefina Spices