Chocolate Macarons (PH)
Pierre Hermé-style chocolate macarons with chocolate shells and a Valrhona dark chocolate ganache.
Ingredients
| 240 g | almond flour | |
| 480 g | powdered sugar | |
| 20 g | unsweetened cocoa | |
| 0.5 g | red colouring | |
| 1 tsp | 5 ml | water |
| 70 g | large egg whites | |
| 20 g | apricot purée | |
| 110 g | large egg whites | |
| 320 g | Valrhona Extra-bitter 61% dark chocolate | |
| 220 g | whole milk | |
| 100 g | French unsalted butter, room temperature |
Instructions
For the chocolate shells
- 1⅔ cups (240 g) almond flour
- 4¾ cups (480 g) powdered (icing) sugar
- ¼ cup (20 g) unsweetened cocoa
- 8 drops / ⅛ tsp (0.5 g) red colouring
- a full 1 tsp (5 ml) water
- 2⅓ large egg whites (70 g)
- 1 tbsp (20 g) apricot purée
- 3½ large egg whites (110 g)
For the chocolate ganache
- 320 g Valrhona Extra-bitter 61% dark chocolate
- 1 cup less 1 tbsp (220 g) whole milk
- ½ cup less 1 tbsp (100 g) French unsalted butter at room temperature
Prepare the shells:
- Mix the flour and powdered sugar well. Dissolve the cocoa and colouring in the water and add this together with the 2⅓ (70 g) egg whites and the apricot purée, and stir again until the mixture forms a rough mass.
- Whip the 3½ (110 g) egg whites, mix with the flour and prepare the macarons.
Chocolate ganache:
- Chop the chocolate and melt it between 45°C and 50°C over a water bath.
- Separately bring the milk to a boil. Pour the milk over the chocolate in three additions, stirring after each addition, starting from the centre of the bowl in widening circles towards the outer walls of the bowl. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth.
- Add the butter in small pieces. Blend again. Pour the ganache into a small tray and cover with cling film. Put it in the fridge for 2 hours until it reaches a creamy consistency and is ready to fill the shells.