Chocolate-Hazelnut Macarons
May 1, 2004
These macarons were adapted from the recipe for Macarons de Paris in The American Boulangerie by Pascal Rigo. I've just added some cocoa powder to the macaron batter and some Nutella (hazelnut-chocolate spread) to the buttercream.
For those not familiar with macarons, macarons are characterized by their smooth and ultra-thin dome-shaped shell, no more than 1 mm thick. Underneath is a cake-like layer, and underneath that is a ruffled skirt, called the feet. In France, macarons are often sandwiched together with a spread of buttercream or jam in between. The result is a ‘cookie’ that initially gives a light crunch before slowly melting in your mouth.
The secret to making perfect macarons is to stir the macaron batter (consisting of almond flour, icing sugar, and whipped egg whites) to just the right consistency. Stir too little and your macarons will not have feet and will have a peak on their top, like a blister or pimple. Stir too much and you’ll deflate the batter and you will end up with flat, cracked, tough and chewy macarons that you’ll want to give to your dog. I’ve read that the batter should be mixed until it “flows like magma.”
