Chocolate Caramel Macarons
Updated Dec. 5, 2022
- Total Time
- 1 hour 45 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 180grams confectioners’ sugar (1¾ cups), see note
- 95grams almond flour or ground almonds (1 cup)
- 30grams natural unsweetened cocoa powder (5 tablespoons)
- ¼teaspoon fine salt
- 3large egg whites, at room temperature
- 255grams granulated sugar (1 cup plus 3 tablespoons)
- 57grams bittersweet chocolate (2 ounces), chopped
Nutritional analysis per serving (30 servings)
93 calories; 3 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 17 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 16 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 26 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Line two or three baking sheets with parchment or nonstick baking mats.
- Step 2
In a bowl, whisk together confectioners’ sugar, almond flour, cocoa powder and salt.
- Step 3
Place egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until egg whites are white in color and hold onto the bottom of the whisk, 2 to 3 minutes. Continue to beat, slowly adding 40 grams (3 tablespoons) granulated sugar until peaks are stiff, about 1 minute.
- Step 4
Using a rubber spatula, gently fold almond mixture into egg whites in 4 batches, until there are no traces of egg whites.
- Step 5
Spoon batter into a pastry bag or a heavy-duty plastic bag, cutting a small hole in a corner of the plastic bag. Pipe 1-inch rounds of batter, an inch apart from one another, onto the baking sheets.. (Alternatively, use a ½ teaspoon measure to form the rounds.) Pick up baking sheets and bang them against work surface. Let sheets sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to dry tops. (Don’t skip this step; it helps the macarons rise nicely.)
- Step 6
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake macarons until puffed and firm, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through baking. Transfer sheets to rack to cool completely, then overturn cookies on the baking sheets so that flat bottoms are facing up.
- Step 7
To make the caramel, combine the remaining 215 grams (1 cup) granulated sugar with ¼ cup water in a clean, dry skillet over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally to help distribute the sugar until it completely melts and turns a rich reddish brown (imagine the color of an Irish setter), about 15 minutes.
- Step 8
Working quickly, spoon caramel over half the overturned cookies; immediately sandwich with remaining, unfilled cookies. If the caramel hardens before you’re done, gently melt it over low heat and continue filling cookies.
- Step 9
Fill a small saucepan with water and bring to a simmer. Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl and place over pot. Heat, stirring frequently, until melted. (Or melt chocolate in the microwave.) Using a fork, drizzle cookies with melted chocolate. Let the caramel and chocolate set at room temperature or in the refrigerator. The caramel should harden to the texture of hard candy.
- If you are making these for Passover, you can buy kosher-for-Passover confectioners' sugar in large supermarkets around the time of the holiday. Or make your own by whirling 2 cups granulated sugar and 2½ tablespoons potato or tapioca starch in a food processor, blender or spice grinder until powdery. Store air-tight.
- Measurements for dry ingredients are given by weight for greater accuracy. The equivalent measurements by volume are approximate.
Private Notes
Comments
I have made these twice, in two different ovens, using silicon baking mats and both times burnt the bottoms black short of 10 minutes, having rotated at 5. I think 350 is too high. A quick surf shows that similar recipes call for temperatures of 280-300. Beware.
So, I use Melissa Clark's base recipe for ice cream all the time, and it's awesome! I would like to make a request: Please make a French Macaron base recipe just like the ice cream recipe! It's so much fun to come up with flavor combinations, and have a fantastic recipe that explains how and when to add those flavors so that it comes out perfect every time. Thanks!
Banging the macarons permits the larger air bubbles to be eliminated. If you don't do this, the air bubbles will cause large air pockets and craters in the baked macaron shells.
170 C 5-6 min then exchange position of sheets in oven then again 5-6 min. Caramel did not work … you just not stir it, check how to make caramel before next time
I beat the eggs on my mixer as described, but I had to do it for way longer than 1 minuet to get the stiff peaks as shown in the accompanying video. I think that then caused the eggs to perhaps be overbearing and it was like a WORKOUT piping them. I’m still tired thinking about it. That my oven’s wildly oscillating temp the higher baking temp called for led to some pretty stiff and sad macaron shells. I’ll try to do as others shared and do a lower baking temp next time.
Do we really need so much sugar? Would 3/4 cups not be enough for 3 egg whites instead of the suggested roughly 3 cups (confectioners' and granulated sugar)?
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