Chocolate Macarons Shells Recipe
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Chocolate Macarons Shells Recipe is based on my French Meringue recipe. Follow my tips and tricks, and you can master these perfect chocolate macarons. You won’t be disappointed. First, let’s talk about cocoa powder.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to make. This recipe is based on French Meringue and will be perfect for beginner bakers. Try also the Italian Meringue Macarons Recipe.
- Full shells. If you want to make macarons with full shells, this is the only recipe you need. Check also Hazelnut or Strawberry Macaron Shells.
- Smooth top. Macaron shells have a smooth top and are not oily.
Ingredients
- Cocoa Powder: Extra Brute Cacao Barry cocoa powder.
- Flour: Almond flour. Make sure you are using almond flour and not almond meal.
- Sugar: Powdered sugar and white granulated sugar.
- Egg: Egg whites at room temperature.
What are Types of Cocoa Powder
Natural cocoa powder is acidic and has a richer chocolate flavor. The color is light brown. This powder is the most common and you can buy it in many stores.
Dutch-processed cocoa powder is also called alkalized cocoa powder or simply Dutch cocoa. After Dutch chemist and chocolate maker Coenraad Johannes van Houten introduced the process of alkalization. That means that cocoa solids have been treated with an alkalizing agent to reduce the natural acidity of cocoa. This powder has a dark brown color, is mellow in flavor, and dissolves easily into liquids.
There are also other cocoa powders that exist on the market, like red cocoa (alkalized cocoa with a red hue) and black cocoa (very dark, highly alkalized cocoa).
What Cocoa Powder to Use for Macarons?
I’ve tested many different cocoa powders with my basic recipe and am sharing the one that really works. I recommend Extra Brute Cacao Barry. As a result, macarons have beautiful colors, taste delicious, and have perfect feet.
How to Make This Recipe
Follow my French meringue macaron shells recipe for detailed instructions. I also have an online video lesson on how to make macaron shells using the No Rest method.
- Sift almond flour, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder.
- Make French meringue.
- Add dry ingredients into the meringue and mix until the batter falls slowly off the spatula.
- Transfer the batter into a pipping bag with round tip and pipe shells on silicone mat.
- Rest the shells until nice skin forms on top, or when you lightly touch with your finger, it should not stick.
- Bake and cool shells completely. After that, pair by size and fill them with filling of your choice.
Expert Tips
- Get all ingredients and tools ready before baking.
- Measure all ingredients using a kitchen scale.
- Baking time takes a few minutes longer than regular macaron shells.
- Use a Silpat baking mat to bake macaron shells.
Recipe FAQs
I find that a lot of people don’t use the right cocoa powder when they make chocolate macaron shells. Adding too much cocoa powder can also affect shells. For example, macaron shells can be oily.
The maturing process of macarons happens when the filled macarons are left to rest for 24 hours in the refrigerator. The macarons will absorb moisture from the filling during this process, allowing the shells to be more hydrated. This makes that iconic soft and chewy texture.
Store in an air-tight container for 2-3 days at room temperature.
This happens if you do not rest enough macaron shells before baking.
There are many reasons for this: not unstable meringue, not correct folding technique, or wrong oven temperature.
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Recipe
Chocolate Macarons Shells Recipe
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- 1 spatula
- 1 pastry bag
- 1 round pipping tip
- 1 digital kitchen scale
Ingredients
Macaron Shells
- 15 gr (2 Tablespoon) Extra Brute Cacao Barry cocoa powder
- 125 gr (1 1/4 cup) almond flour
- 125 gr (1 cup) powdered sugar
- 100 gr (1/2 cup from 3 large eggs) egg whites room temperature
- 100 gr (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
Instructions
How to Make Chocolate Macaron Shells
- Get all ingredients and equipment ready.
- In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, add room-temperature egg whites and start whisking on low speed. Start adding sugar one tablespoon at a time. Increase speed to medium-high and whip until glossy and medium peaks. This will take 10-15 minutes.
- In another mixing bowl, sift together almond flour, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder.
- Add dry ingredients to the French meringue and start folding in the butter. The batter is ready when you can make a figure 8 with a spatula, or it flows “like lava.”
- Transfer macaron batter into a pastry bag with a round piping tip.
- Pipe macaron shells on the baking mats.
- Top the baking sheet pan with piped macaron shells a few times. Let the shells rest on the countertop until no batter sticks to your finger when you touch it.
- Bake macaron shells in the preheated oven to 275°F (134 °C) -300°F (150oC) for 12-14 minutes. Oven temperature and baking time may vary, depending on your oven.
- Remove baked macaron shells from the oven and let them cool on the baking mat with a baking sheet pan. When shells are cooled completely, remove them from the baking mat and pair them with similar sizes.
Thank you ♡