Chocolate Mint Macarons
Macarons are little cakes made from ground almonds, icing sugar and egg whites, giving a shell that is crisp outside and chewy within. They are usually filled with ganache, jam or cream and sandwiched together.Macarons date back to the Middle Ages, but the modern two-shell version is generally credited to Ladurée in the early 20th century. Their many flavours (chocolate, raspberry, pistachio, lemon) and bright colours have made them an emblem of French patisserie.
Ingredients
Shells
- 55 g ground almonds
- 60 g icing sugar
- 45 g caster sugar
- About 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 50 g egg whites
Filling
- 80 g dark chocolate bar
- 80 g crème fraîche
Method
Shells
- Sift the 55 g of ground almonds, the 2 tbsp of cocoa powder and the 60 g of icing sugar into a bowl.
- (Read the notes at the bottom if you want to make: - chocolate mint macarons- chocolate orange macarons
- In another bowl, whisk the egg whites while adding the caster sugar in 3 additions (45 g). You want something close to a meringue, without whipping it to the absolute maximum. Aim for stiff peaks while keeping the mixture fairly fluid, so each piped shell fills the mould properly.
- Add the dry ingredients to the egg whites.
- Fold with a spatula and start the macaronnage. The batter should be smooth and fall in a ribbon.My tip: use the spatula to press the batter against the side of the bowl while turning the bowl. Gather the batter back together, then repeat.A good macaronnage is what gives you a nice foot around the shell as it bakes.
- Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle.
- 1 - I recommend a silicone mat with small round moulds on it, it makes the job much easier.2 - Otherwise lay a sheet of baking paper on a sturdy, reasonably large support (a chopping board or a tray, for example)Pipe the batter into rounds 2 cm across. No bigger, because the batter will spread on its own and the shell risks ending up too large. Hold the piping bag upright at 90 degrees, that is what gives you neat rounds
- Once everything is piped, take the tray and tap it gently against the worktop. This bursts any bubbles sitting at the surface of the shells and spreads them out to reach a diameter of around 3.5 cm, or to fill the mould properly if the batter has not spread all the way.
- Leave the shells to dry for 1 hour. The tops should no longer feel tacky. A fan at a sensible distance can speed things up.
- Bake at 150°C for 25 minutes. Let them cool before lifting the shells off. They should come away easily.
Filling
- Heat the 80 g of crème fraîche in a pan over a medium heat.
- Add the 80 g of chocolate.
- Stir until the chocolate has melted completely.
- Chill the filling for 30 minutes before piping.
- Pipe, chill again, then enjoy. Macarons are at their best made 24 hours ahead. Wrap them well.
Notes
For chocolate mint macarons, leave the cocoa powder out of the recipe and replace it with food colouring (powder is best) to get the green colour.
The ratio to mix is 3 parts yellow to 1 part blue. Test it separately first to get the shade right, then add the result to the egg whites at the next step.
For the filling I used 80 g of mint chocolate from a bar. For chocolate orange macarons, add only 1.5 tbsp of cocoa powder.
Add orange food colouring (powder is best) to the meringue and mix until you reach the shade you want.
It does not matter if the orange looks too bright, the shells darken as they bake.
For the filling I used 80 g of orange chocolate from a bar.
The ratio to mix is 3 parts yellow to 1 part blue. Test it separately first to get the shade right, then add the result to the egg whites at the next step.
For the filling I used 80 g of mint chocolate from a bar. For chocolate orange macarons, add only 1.5 tbsp of cocoa powder.
Add orange food colouring (powder is best) to the meringue and mix until you reach the shade you want.
It does not matter if the orange looks too bright, the shells darken as they bake.
For the filling I used 80 g of orange chocolate from a bar.
