Dark Chocolate Raspberry Macarons Recipe
These Dark Chocolate Raspberry Macarons are delicate French cookies featuring crisp almond flour shells filled with a luscious dark chocolate ganache and vibrant raspberry jam. Perfect for special occasions or an elegant treat, these macarons combine the rich bitterness of dark chocolate with the sweet tartness of raspberry in every bite.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: Approximately 20-25 macarons (10-12 sandwiches) 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
Scale
Macaron Shells
- 120 g almond flour
- 200 g powdered sugar
- 100 g egg whites (room temperature)
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 optional black gel food coloring (for Halloween flair)
Filling
- 150 g dark chocolate, chopped
- 100 ml heavy cream
- 1 tsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp raspberry jam (can swap with strawberry jam)
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper to ensure the macarons do not stick during baking.
- Sift Dry Ingredients: Sift the almond flour and powdered sugar together thoroughly to remove lumps and create a smooth mixture for the batter.
- Whip Egg Whites: In a clean bowl, whip the egg whites with cream of tartar and a pinch of salt until frothy and soft peaks begin to form.
- Add Sugar and Color: Gradually add granulated sugar while continuing to whip until stiff peaks form; add black gel food coloring if desired to enhance color.
- Fold in Dry Ingredients: Carefully fold the sifted almond flour and powdered sugar into the whipped egg whites until the batter is glossy and flows like lava, ensuring not to deflate the meringue.
- Pipe Macarons: Pipe small rounds of batter onto the prepared baking sheets, then gently tap the sheets on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
- Rest Macarons: Let the piped macarons rest at room temperature for 30-60 minutes until a skin forms on the surface, which helps form the characteristic macaron feet during baking.
- Bake: Bake the macarons in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes. Once done, allow them to cool completely on the baking sheet before removing.
- Prepare Ganache: Heat the heavy cream until it just begins to simmer, then pour over the chopped dark chocolate. Let sit for one minute, then stir until smooth and glossy.
- Add Butter to Ganache: Stir in the unsalted butter to enhance richness and allow the ganache to cool to pipeable consistency.
- Assemble Macarons: Match the macaron shells in pairs by size. Pipe a ring of ganache on one shell, add a small dollop of raspberry jam in the center, and sandwich with the matching shell on top.
Notes
- Ensure egg whites are at room temperature for optimal volume when whipped.
- Allow macarons to rest before baking to develop the signature smooth top and feet.
- The ganache filling can be prepared ahead and refrigerated, rewarming gently before assembly.
- For a sweeter filling variant, substitute raspberry jam with strawberry jam.
- Store assembled macarons in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Keywords: dark chocolate macarons, raspberry macarons, French macarons, chocolate ganache filling, almond flour cookies, elegant desserts
