I've been meaning to give macarons a try for a while, but have never had the right occasion. They take extra time to make and assemble, and extra time is something I have very little of these days. But today we had the day off - the perfect opportunity to experiment with and get lost in a new recipe! And since my wonderful teachers took the time to write me wonderful recommendations for my college apps, I knew I needed to make them something super special and beautiful to say thank you :)
These macarons were deliciously crunchy on the outside and a melty chocolate heaven on the inside. I was skeptical at first of the filling because german chocolate is notoriously known for being overpoweringly sweet. But surprisingly, it was a nutty deliciousness that offset the rich chocolate flavor perfectly!
A lot of people are intimidated by the prospect of making macarons because it has a reputation of being quite difficult to handle, but these were quite a success... and on my first attempt too! The most complicated part was piping macarons that were approximately the same size. And that problem can easily be fixed by drawing out stencils for your cookies onto parchment paper. Also, keep in mind the following tips when embarking on your journey.
Couple of Tips:
- Take the time to sift your almond flour, sugar, and cocoa powder. Almond flour has a lot of large chunks that will break up the texture of your macarons if left in the batter - and the same thing applies powdered sugar.
- The longer you let the tops of your macarons dry before baking, the crisper the outside and the gooier the inside.
- Rotate your baking sheet once right in the middle of your baking period for evenly done cookies.
- Don't lift the cookies off the sheet while hot! They need to set first. Work with them and the frosting once cooled.
- Macarons taste better the day after because the filling soaks into the cookie and the flavors mingle and ugh its too much for words.
Leave any other questions/remarks you may have in the comments section below!
For original recipe, click here. Makes 25 macarons Ingredients For macarons 3 egg whites 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 cup almond flour 1 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar) 1/4 tsp salt 3 Tbsp unsweetened dark cocoa powder For filling 1 can sweetened condensed milk 2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut 1 cup finely chopped pecans 1 egg |
Macarons
- In a large bowl, sift together almond flour, confectioner's sugar, salt, and cocoa powder.
- In a separate bowl, beat together egg whites until foamy.
- Slowly add in granulated sugar, and beat until the egg whites can hold stiff peaks.
- Fold the egg whites into the dry ingredients
- Pipe the batter into a plastic bag and cut off one end.
- Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. (Or use one of those silicone macaron mats)
- Form even sized macaron circles (about 1 1/2 inch wide)
- Bang the baking sheets once on a hard, flat surface to remove any air bubbles
- Let the macarons sit outside for about an hour, or until the top begins to dry out.
- Bake them at 325 degrees for 15 minutes. They will start to form little "feet" (the bottom rings that are larger than the rest of the cookies)
- Let cool completely before assembling.
- Roast coconut and pecans separately until browned and fragrant.
- In a small saucepan, whisk together sweetened condensed milk and the egg.
- Cook on medium heat until the liquid starts to gently bubble.
- Take the saucepan off the heat and stir in pecans and coconut.
- Let the filling cool completely.
- Put about 1 tsp of filling on one macaron, and sandwich it with another.
- Press gently and evenly on the sides of the macaron to make each side stay together (don't press in the middle otherwise your cookie will cave in!)