Hot Chocolate Macarons

This post is not sponsored.

Go big or go home they say right? Well I figured I’d kick off International Christmas Cookie week with one that is part cookie, part confection, very popular all around. Macarons sound scary don’t they? Or they at least seem very intimidating. But believe it or not, they actually aren’t that bad. As long as you have the right items, follow the right steps without taking short cuts, you’ll be all set. Randy and I had been wanting to try and make Macarons again after taking a class two years ago to learn how to make them. They came out great and we had wanted to revisit again ourselves. When I had been tossing around ideas for things this Holiday season, it came to me very quickly… Hot Chocolate Macarons!

Surprisingly, these little delectable French Pillows of Delight did not technically originate completely in France. They did make their debut in France, however they were concocted by Italian Pastry Chefs that worked for the infamous Catherine de Medici. They introduced their creations to France and Bam, the rest is history. Now you can’t go anywhere in Paris, or in an High End Patisserie without stumbling upon them. They are now available in a multitude of flavors ranging from the traditional pistachio and vanilla to more creative flavors like Passionfruit and Cotton Candy.

Macarons were something I never learned how to make early on. After watching countless baking shows, including ones with extremely talented kids, they seemed to be so easy. However, it wasn’t something I wanted to attempt completely on my own. So we signed up for a class at Sur La Table, a wonderful culinary based store that also features in house classes as well as online experiences. This was our first time doing something like this together and it ended up being an amazing experience. We learned how to perfectly do macarons with several filling options.

I was really glad that I had done a guided experience to learn these the first time around. But honestly you don’t need it. What I do recommend though is reading through the process thoroughly if this is your first time doing them. Just like the majority of baking, the steps and the ingredients are what matter the most. Firstly, you need to get good almond flour. Almond flour is the most important purchased ingredient in this mix.

Secondly, you have to sift it. If you want to do this through a strainer you have laying around or you can purchase a specific sifter like this one. Sifting it twice will actually allow for the finest texture which is what you want in a macaron.

Then you have to whip your egg whites. I don’t recommend buying the separated carton kind for this. Separating your own is best, but make sure you don’t get any egg yolk in there at all. If you do, they will not whip up properly at all. Whip them until they come to silky, stiff peaks. You should be able to test this by literally holding the bowl over your head and making sure they don’t move. If you lift the whisk up like this, they should stand up straight.

Folding in all your ingredients carefully and tactfully is another key part of this method. You want to keep as much of the air in there as possible so make sure to not overmix the mixture.

Once everything is combined, place the batter into a pastry bag with a small open tip. At this point, you can use already marked sheets that are sold or you can eyeball the actual piping process out. Either way, you want to make sure that you are doing this on parchment paper. I would keep your circles fairly small, not any bigger then a 50 cents piece. For those of you who are too young and have never seen what a 50 cent piece is, I’d say no bigger then a pop grip for your phone.

Once all your batter is all piped out, then you are going to slam your sheet trays down at least 3 times to get out any air bubbles. Make sure to use a small toothpick to then pop those bubbles so you have smooth tops. Then you are going to let them sit for 30 to 60 minutes to allow them to dry out.

This process aids in the chewy texture that comes with them. You’ll know they are ready when you touch the tops and nothing comes off on your finger.

Once that happens, they are ready to bake! Place them in the oven for roughly 16 minutes at 300. You should see their classic “little feet” on the bottom, which is where the meringue has formed small cracks. Bring them out and allow them to cool.

Meanwhile, it’s filling time. This is a great opportunity to incorporate flavor. And this is where that amazing hot chocolate filling is going to come in. For this, I got some semi-sweet chocolate chunks from Trader Joe’s, a favorite of ours as my base.

We are going to make a ganache filling for the first part. Over a double boiler, add one packet of powdered Hot Chocolate mix and 1 cup of the semi sweet chocolate pieces. If dark rich chocolate isn’t your thing, then go for milk chocolate as a lighter alternative.

Heat your heavy cream up to a simmer and then pour it over your chocolate mixture. Allow it to sit for a few minutes and then whisk it all up.

Then as a surprise element, we are going to make a marshmallow buttercream for the center to capture that classic hot chocolate with marshmallows combination.

Once your marshmallow buttercream is made and put in a pastry bag, we can start ultimate macaron assembly!

Pair up your actual macaron cookies and select your bases.

Once they are established, you can start piping your hot chocolate ganache. I’ll be honest, I over did mine. Mostly out of trial and error but also because my Sous Chef (Randy) who was crushing it with assistance that day is a massive fan of filling. You want to remember how a macaron looks in that the filling is just barely peeking out.

Once the ganache is all piped, the place a button of your marshmallow buttercream in the center.

The best part of this is that no one knows about that marshmallow surprise until they try one!

And that’s it! All complete! Perfect for gifts, yourself, or just impressing folks on Zoom that you have French Macarons just kicking around your house!

Macarons

• 1 ¾ cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup almond flour, finely ground
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 3 egg whites, at room temperature
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Hot Chocolate Ganache

• 8 ounces Semi Sweet Dark Chocolate Chips/Pieces
• 1 Packet of powdered Hot Chocolate Mix
• 8 ounces  heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 teaspoon  vanilla extract

Marshmallow Buttercream

• 1/2 jar (3/4 cup) Marshmallow Fluff
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon milk 
• 1/8 cup powdered sugar

Make the macarons: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the powdered sugar, almond flour, and ½ teaspoon of salt, and process on low speed, until extra fine. Sift the almond flour mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl.

In a separate large bowl, beat the egg whites and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt with an electric hand mixer until soft peaks form.

Gradually add the granulated sugar until fully incorporated. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form (you should be able to turn the bowl upside down without anything falling out).

Add the vanilla and beat until incorporated.

Add about ⅓ of the sifted almond flour mixture at a time to the beaten egg whites and use a spatula to gently fold until combined. After the last addition of almond flour, continue to fold slowly until the batter falls into ribbons.

Transfer the macaron batter into a piping bag fitted with a round tip.

Pipe the macarons onto the parchment paper in 1½-inch (3-cm) circles, spacing at least 1-inch (2-cm) apart.

Tap the baking sheet on a flat surface 5 times to release any air bubbles.

Let the macarons sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until dry to the touch.

Preheat the oven to 300˚F (150˚C).

Bake the macarons for 16 minutes, until the feet are well-risen and the macarons don’t stick to the parchment paper.

Transfer the macarons to a wire rack to cool completely before filling.

Make the Ganache: Heat cream in a sauce pan until steam starts to rise from the surface but isn’t boiling yet. 

Pour hot cream over the chocolate and powdered hot chocolate and let it set for 5 minutes. 

Add salt and vanilla and whisk everything together until it’s smooth.

Make the Marshmallow Buttercream: In large bowl, beat marshmallow fluff, softened butter, vanilla and 1 tablespoon milk with electric mixer on medium speed until blended.

Beat in powdered sugar until fluffy. If necessary, beat in more milk, a few drops at a time, until thin enough to spread.

Assembly: Place Hot Chocolate Ganache and Marshmallow Buttercream in separate pastry bags with small circle piping tips.

Determine bottoms for macaron pairs, leaving the smoother one as your top. Carefully pipe hot chocolate ganache around the outer rim of cookie in a thing line, leaving a circle spot in the center.

Pipe a dot of marshmallow buttercream in the center. Take lid press down. Enjoy!