As a popular cake from France, macarons have captured the attention of many foodies in other countries thanks to their delicious texture and attractive colors. Macarons are different from the coconut macaroons you may have seen. Macarons are made of two foam dough with cream in the middle. Below is a recipe for chocolate dough with cream of chocolate ganache in the center. But you can adjust or change the taste according to your taste.
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 cup sweets
- 0.75 cup almond flour
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- Salt
- 2 egg whites
- 5 tablespoons of sugar
- 0.125 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 0.25 cup sugar
For the cream
- 0.5 cup cream
- 2 tablespoons chocolate chip or grated chocolate
Step
Method 1 of 4: Making the Dough
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 138 degrees Celsius
The macaron dough only needs to be baked on low heat so that it rises slowly and doesn't crumble. If your oven is too hot, you may need to bake it with your oven door slightly ajar.
Step 2. Prepare a baking tray lined with parchment paper
Since the sweetener you are going to use is very delicate, you will need to use parchment paper to prevent the dough from sticking to the tray.
Step 3. Mix the dry ingredients
Put the sweetener, flour, salt, and cocoa powder in a bowl. Mix all the ingredients until smooth and there are no visible deposits or lumps.
- If your almond flour is coarse, put your dough in a blender to mix well. But don't blend too long or the dough will turn into almond butter.
- If you want to change the taste of the macaron, change or skip the cocoa powder.
Step 4. Mix the wet ingredients
Add the egg whites and stir until it turns into a white foam. Make sure your bowl is clean and dry, otherwise the eggs won't be able to form foam. Then add the sugar and other wet ingredients. Mix until the foam becomes denser and looks shiny.
- You can also add other flavorings such as vanilla, mint extract, or almond extract. Add just a teaspoon of the ingredient if you want to use it.
- You can also add food coloring to make your macarons look colorful and attractive. Use a color that matches the flavor you're going to make (such as strawberry with a little red coloring).
Step 5. Combine the two mixtures of ingredients
Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture.
Step 6. Stir the dough
In order for the macaro to have a chewy and soft texture, the dough must be stirred by pressing the center of the dough with a spoon or spatula, then taking the dough that is on the side to move to the center, then pressing the center again. Repeat until the dough has a pudding-like texture.
- You may need to do this movement 10 to 12 times or until you achieve the desired texture.
- When the dough has reached the desired texture, don't stir again as this will run the dough out and will ruin the texture of your macarons.
Method 2 of 4: Baking the Dough
Step 1. Fill the dough bag with your macaron batter
You can use the bag you normally use for cake cream. Fill the bag with the macaron mixture, then seal the top so the dough doesn't come out of it.
- If you don't have a dough bag, you can make your own by taking a clean bag and cutting off one of the corners, then attaching the end of your dough printer.
- You can use a different printer tip if you want to experiment. Most people really like their macaroons round. But if you want to have a different shape, give it a try.
Step 2. Print the dough on a tray
Squeeze the dough bag out onto the grill tray. The dough will spread out a bit, so make sure each dough has some free space. Make sure each dough is the same size so that your macaron size will be consistent. When it's full, lift the tray to a height of 2.5 cm, then drop it. Do this three times to make the dough smoother on the top.
Step 3. Let the dough rest
Let the dough rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. The macarons are ready to bake when the surface of the dough forms a dry crust. Touch it gently to check it. If the surface of the dough doesn't stick to your fingers, it's time to put it in the oven.
Step 4. Bake the dough
Place your grill tray in the oven. Bake the macarons for 15 minutes, or a little longer if necessary. The macarons are ready if the inside looks like a soft but not sticky crust. When done, remove from oven and let cool.
- You can open the oven door every few minutes to let the moisture out of the oven and allow the macarons to rise to the desired shape.
- Don't bake it too long or the outside will brown and the texture will be different than desired.
- Baking macarons is a tedious process and requires a lot of practice. If your macarons crumble or spoil on the first try, try changing your oven temperature and baking time.
Method 3 of 4: Making the Cream
Step 1. Heat the cream
Put the cream in a saucepan and heat it over medium heat. Stir while the cream heats up, then remove when it starts to steam. Don't let the cream boil. You can also heat the cream in the microwave.
Step 2. Pour the cream over the chocolate
Let the hot cream melt the chocolate for a minute or two. Then use a spoon to stir the cream and chocolate until it becomes a light chocolate cream.
Step 3. Put the cream in the dough bag
This will make it easier for you to pour the cream over the surface of the macarons. Attach the tip of the dough press to the end of the pocket.
Step 4. If desired, use another cream
Cream of chocolate ganache is a popular cream for macarons. But there are many options that you can use, ranging from butter cream, or fruit cream.
Method 4 of 4: Merging the Macarons
Step 1. Remove the macarons from the tray
Use a spatula to lift the cooled macarons, then flip them over so that a flat surface is facing up. These macarons break easily, so be careful when doing this.
To make your macarons cool quickly, you can lift the parchment paper and pour a little water behind the paper. This will create steam so you can lift the macarons easily
Step 2. Cream some of the macarons
Cream the center of the macarons and press down with a teaspoon. Repeat until some of the macarons are creamy.
Step 3. Cover the creamed macarons with the uncreamed macarons
Place it carefully, then press gently. Do it for all the macarons.
Step 4. Enjoy or save your macarons
Enjoy your macarons fresh, or store them in an airtight container. Your macarons will last for several days if kept in the refrigerator.
Step 5. Done
Tips
- If you can package them beautifully, macarons make great gifts.
- Get creative with coloring. Use a light color to make it stand out more.
- Be careful not to knead the dough too long. Stir until it forms a smooth dough, but not too runny.
- Watch the macarons carefully, because these foods are very vulnerable. If after cooking it doesn't turn out the way you wanted, review the steps and the recipe to make sure you did all the steps correctly. Just a little different things can make this food spoil.
