Chocolate Chestnut Macarons
French chocolate macarons paired with chestnut. Chocolate is probably one of the most popular macaron flavors — combining it with the quintessentially seasonal chestnut is such a natural and delicious match that you'll wonder why you don't always pair the two together.
Ingredients
| 90 g | aged egg whites (for the shells) | |
| 1 pinch | salt | |
| 40 g | granulated sugar | |
| 200 g | powdered sugar (200 g minus 2 tbsp) | |
| 2 tbsp | 30 ml | cocoa powder |
| 110 g | almond flour | |
| 125 | boiled and peeled chestnuts (for the purée) | |
| 100 ml | fresh milk | |
| 100 ml | water | |
| 1/2 tsp | 2.5 ml | vanilla |
| — | all the chestnut purée (for the ganache) | |
| 50 g | dark chocolate | |
| 50 g | sweetened whipping cream |
Instructions
Chestnut purée: Put the boiled and well-cleaned chestnuts in a pot and add the milk and water. Bring to a boil again until very soft. Remove with a slotted spoon into a tall bowl. Add the vanilla and a little of the leftover cooking liquid. Purée the chestnuts until you get a fine, smooth purée, adding more liquid if needed to reach the desired consistency.
Chocolate-chestnut ganache: Break the dark chocolate into small pieces. Heat the cream until it boils and pour it over the chocolate. Leave for 30 seconds to melt, then stir until homogeneous. Add the chestnut purée to the ganache and stir until you get a smooth, glossy cream. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave overnight at room temperature, or a few hours in the fridge, to set.
Assembly: Sandwich the macarons with the ready cream, then store in tightly closed boxes and wait 24 hours before eating.
Making macarons for the first time? Take a look at the All About Macarons page for detailed how-to instructions, troubleshooting tips, and printable templates, and check out the detailed and easy-to-follow How to Make French Macarons video class.
Alternate version — chocolate-chestnut buttercream filling (Makes about 36 macarons)
To make the filling: In a medium bowl, cream the butter (or dairy-free shortening) using an electric mixer. Add the chestnut spread, cocoa powder and rum, and beat together until creamy and homogeneous. Reserve.