And that’s it, I no longer have a single macaron shell in my freezer! (My other half must be pleased! ^^ although… I still have egg whites). For a meal with friends, I decided to fill them with a praline whipped ganache. Mmmm, I’ve become a praline fan! And there’s no denying it, whipped ganaches are the best — I recommend them, they bring more lightness and softness (yes, really, even in a dessert!). I pinched the ganache recipe from Mercotte, a reference when it comes to macarons.
Ingredients & preparation
3 components · Full recipe
Shells
Ingredients
- 70 g (2.5 oz) egg whites
- 140 g (4.9 oz) icing sugar
- 80 g (2.8 oz) ground almonds
- 20 g (0.7 oz) caster sugar
- a little unsweetened cocoa powder
Preparation
1
Blitz the icing sugar, ground almonds and cocoa powder together, then sift the whole mixture.
2
Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks, add the caster sugar in two additions and whisk at maximum speed until you achieve the “bird’s beak” effect.
3
Gradually fold in the almond and icing sugar mixture using a rubber spatula. The batter should be shiny, smooth and fall off the spatula in a ribbon. Once the right consistency is reached, transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a plain tip. Don’t hesitate to use a tall glass to support your piping bag — that way you can use both hands.
4
Pipe small domes of about 3.5 cm (1.4 in) in diameter in a staggered pattern onto a sheet of baking paper. To get even macarons, I use a template I downloaded from Pure Gourmandise. Leave to form a skin for about twenty minutes. If after an hour the surface of your macarons is still not dry, there’s a good chance they won’t form a skin at all. There are several possible reasons for this… in any case, there’s no point waiting any longer. Bake them anyway, but be prepared for the possibility that they won’t have a foot.
5
Bake at 120°C / 250°F for 20–22 minutes. Once out of the oven, leave to cool before peeling off the shells. The shells are done when they come off the paper very easily.
Step by step
Not quite comfortable with macaron shells yet? I’ve put together two full step-by-step picture guides to help you get it right every time:
Whipped Coffee Ganache
Ingredients
- 100 g (3.5 oz) white chocolate
- 200 g (7.1 oz) full-fat liquid cream
- 1/2 tablespoon acacia honey
- 1 tablespoon instant coffee
Preparation
1
Melt the white chocolate, broken into pieces, with the acacia honey in a bain-marie.
2
Meanwhile, heat 50 g (1.8 oz) of the cream in a small saucepan.
3
As soon as the cream begins to simmer, pour it in three additions over the melted chocolate and stir with a rubber spatula.
4
Add the instant coffee and mix well, then add the remaining cold liquid cream and stir to combine.
5
Cover with cling film pressed directly onto the surface. Place the bowl in the fridge for at least 6 hours (or ideally overnight).
6
The next day (or 6 hours later), place the bowl of ganache and the whisk attachments of your electric mixer in the freezer for about 15 minutes.
7
Remove the bowl and gradually whip the ganache until it becomes thicker and creamy. Continue until the cream holds firm peaks.
Assembly
Ingredients
- None
Preparation
1
Sort your macaron shells so that the ones you pair together are the same size.
2
Pipe a small mound of ganache in the centre of one shell and sandwich with its matching shell.
3
Refrigerate and wait 24 to 48 hours before eating. The macarons should spend their first night in an uncovered container (to prevent them from becoming damp), then close the box and keep them in the fridge for a further 24 hours — they’ll only get better.
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