How to Make Chocolate Macarons

A macaron is a French dessert containing two thin cookies made out of almond flour. The cookies are sandwiched together with a filling which creates a delicious French pastry. If you're looking for a chocolaty flavor to your macarons, try this batch of chocolate macarons. The shells are made out of natural cocoa powder and is closed together with a chocolate ganache.

Makes: 21-25 macarons

Ingredients

Macaron Shells ^{[1]
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1 cup (100 grams) almond flour
¾ cup (100 grams) powdered sugar
2 tablespoons (10 grams) natural cocoa powder
2 large egg whites (75 grams), at room temperature
¼ cup (50 grams) white sugar
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon sea salt (optional)

Ganache ^{[2]
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4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
½ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (¼ stick), at room temperature sliced into cubes

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:
Making the Macaron Shells

1
Sift the dry ingredients together. In a medium-sized bowl, sift the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and almond flour two times only. Set aside for later use.
2
Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat the whites on medium speed until they're foamy.
3
Fold in the cream of tartar and keep blending.
4
Pour in the sugar, adding a tablespoon at a time. Pick up the speed to medium-high and keep beating the whites. Peaks should begin to form.
5
Sift in the almond flour mixture into the egg whites. Combine the ingredients together using a rubber spatula. Do not over-mix. Mix the batter together clockwise from the bottom, going up around the sides, and then cutting the batter in half.
- The batter will be a little thick at first, but that's normal. It begins to thin out the more you mix. ^{[3]
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- Test the batter's consistency by doing the macaron ribbon test. To do it, scoop small amounts of macaron batter on a tray. After ten seconds, the edges of the ribbon should dissolve. If it doesn't dissolve, keep continuing to fold the batter together, but if it does dissolve then stop mixing at once. ^{[4]
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6
Scoop the macaron batter in a pastry bag with a tip.
7
Pipe the batter on a baking tray covered with parchment paper. Pipe small amounts of batter, about 1.5-inch rounds. Keep each amount one inch away from one another. There will be approximately 42 shells.
- If air bubbles appear, firmly tap the baking tray down to pop them. Air bubbles can crack macaron shells when they bake. ^{[5]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 2:
Baking and Making the Ganache

1
Preheat the oven to 300° Fahrenheit (150° Celsius).
2
Allow the macarons to sit for about 15-30 minutes. Before getting baked, let the shells dry. You can test the shells to see if they're ready to bake by touching one of them gently. If the batter does not stick to your finger, they're ready for baking. Sprinkle over the salt, if desired.
3
Bake the macarons for about 18-20 minutes. The macarons will be ready when they're easy to remove off the tray and do not stick to it.
4
Let the macarons cool for about 15 minutes. Lay the tray on a wire rack and after several minutes of cooling, transfer the shells on the rack using a spatula. While the macarons chill, make the chocolate ganache filling.
5
Start making the ganache filling. Simmer the chocolate and heavy cream in a large saucepan over medium heat. Heat the ingredients up until it begins to bubble. Mix with a wooden spoon and let the filling rest for about a minute or so. Stir in the butter and mix until smooth. Chill until the filling slightly thickens, but is still easy enough to spread.
- It's recommended to chill the ganache filling for about thirty minutes. ^{[6]
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6
Pipe the ganache filling onto the macaron shells. Close each one together to form the macaron.
7
Serve. Place the chocolate macarons on a serving plate. Garnish with powdered sugar, if desired. Enjoy!

Community Q&A

Question

The macaron batter was extremely thick and I ended up with hard, chewy macarons. What went wrong?

Qamar

Top Answerer

It's possible you measured the wet ingredients and/or dry ingredients incorrectly. Be sure to use a kitchen scale to measure them precisely.
Question

Can the macarons be frozen?

Qamar

Top Answerer

Yes, the chocolate macarons can be frozen. Store them in a Ziploc bag and freeze them. They can last up to 5 months.
Question

The macaron shells cracked after they were baked. Why?

Qamar

Top Answerer

Did you over-mix the batter? Over-mixing causes the macarons to crack once they're baked. Count the number of times you fold the batter together and do the ribbon test (mentioned in part 1 step 5) to prevent the batter from being over-mixed. Also, be sure to pop any air bubbles seen on the macaron shells. This can cause the shells to crack, too.
Question

My macaron shells turned out very hard. What went wrong?

Qamar

Top Answerer

It's possible you over-baked them. Consider decreasing the bake time the next time you make them. Also, be sure the oven temperature is correct and that the ingredients are precisely measured, as this could also affect the macarons.
Question

Can macarons burn if they are over baked?

Community Answer

Yes, any baked good can burn if left to cook for too long or at too high a temperature. The bottom of macaron shells can become browned due to high oven temperatures and the baking tray being too close to the heat source.
Question

What if you are allergic to nuts?

Isolde

Top Answerer

If you are allergic to nuts, then this is not a suitable recipe for you. Almond flour is an important and essential part of making macarons. However, if you wish, you can search for nut-free macaron recipes online.
Question

Is the bitter sweet chocolate necessary, or can you use others?

Community Answer

Yes, you can use other types of chocolate for the filling. It will taste different depending on the chocolate you use, that's up to you.

Warnings

Be very careful not to over-mix the macaron batter. Doing so will cause the shells to crack when baked. If needed, count the number of times you fold and mix the batter.

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Take caution not to cook the ganache filling for too long. The chocolate will burn and scorch.

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