Easy Milk Chocolate Macarons

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Macarons are such a delicious and sophisticated cookie.  They are versatile and so easy to create unique flavor combinations.  You can easily switch up the flavors in the macarons shell and the filling.  These chocolate macarons are a great basic flavor to get started with.  Enjoy them on their own or as a cake decoration.

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Making Chocolate Macarons

Without a doubt, macarons are a tricky cookie to master.  But I don’t think you need to be afraid to at least try.  Understand that there are so many factors that go into getting the perfect macaron, and no matter what, every batch will give you a few wonky shells.

This recipe for chocolate macarons uses the basic macaron recipe I got from a baking class at my local community college.  It uses an Italian meringue, which is much more stable than a French meringue.  That makes this a great recipe for macaron newbs.

Milk Chocolate Macarons

While I’ve made a lot of macarons in the past year or so, I’ve never actually tried making chocolate macarons.  So, I wasn’t exactly sure how much cocoa powder to use.  I ended up going with 20g. It was enough to give a solid chocolate flavor, so I’m glad I didn’t use any less.

These chocolate macarons are light in color, but they still deliver on that delicious chocolate flavor.  For a more intense chocolate macaron, you could use dark cocoa powder.  I might even try increasing the cocoa powder a bit, but I don’t know how this will work, so try this at your own risk!

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Choose a Filling… Or Two!

Chocolate macarons are a great choice because chocolate goes with so many flavors.  My favorite filling medium is a delicious buttercream, but you can use ganache, curd, or jam.  For these bad boys, I used up some leftover espresso Italian meringue buttercream, and luscious raspberry frosting.

But don’t let me hold you back!  Here are a few other flavor ideas to get you started:

• Almond Swiss Meringue Buttercream
• Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
• Coconut Frosting
• Ginger Buttercream
• Rose Easy Buttercream
• Vanilla American Buttercream

Keep in mind, a little bit of frosting goes a long way.  You will probably want to scale back these recipes.  But you can always store extra buttercream in the fridge or the freezer for your next batch.

Tips for Perfect Macarons

Like I said before, there are roughly a bajillion different ways macarons can get messed up.  But there are some basic bits of advice I can give you to help you avoid at least some of these issues.  The best way to get perfect macarons is simply through practice and experience.

Smooth Tops

The first bit of advice is properly grinding your dry ingredients.  Your almond flour should equal the amount of powdered sugar and cocoa powder.  Put all of these in your food processor and pulse until fine.  Then sift out the large bits.  If you just let the processor run, you risk turning the mixture into almond butter.  

Macaronage

Right here, easily the hardest part about making perfect macarons.  I actually got the macaronage on point for these chocolate macarons!  Fold the meringue and almond mixture until it flows off the spatula like lava.  

It should take roughly 15- 30 seconds for the drizzle to sink into the rest of the batter.  This is also called ribbon stage.  It will take a lot of practice.  Once you get close, test the batter after every few folds.

Related Reading: Meringue Cookies

Silicone Mats vs. Parchment Paper

My ability to judge size just by eye is abysmal.  So, naturally, I use templates to get evenly sized macarons.  I’ve always used my silicone macaron mats and printable templates under a piece of parchment.  It’s been a bit irritating, but a lot of the macarons on my silicone mats come out lopsided, while the parchment ones are okay.

I finally got so frustrated that I turned to my friend, a macaron PRO, Heather from We Can Bake Macs.  She told me that silicone does not distribute heat as evenly as metal, and I might want to try moving my tray down a rack.  Everyone’s ovens are different and you have to find the right oven settings for you.

Enjoy!

What are you going to fill your chocolate macarons with?  This recipe is a very useful one to have in your macaron repertoire!  Crispy shell, chewy interior, and that delicious chocolate flavor.

And, if you’re into this sort of thing, pop on over to YouTube and check out the ever growing Bakes & Blunders channel.  Let me know what you’d like to see on the channel next!

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Chocolate Macarons

These macarons are deliciously chocolatey. Pair them with buttercream for a perfect cookie.

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Course Dessert

Cuisine American, French

Keyword almond, Chocolate, Cookies, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Macarons

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Resting Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 100 Macaron Shells

Calories 24kcal

Author Colleen

Ingredients

Macaron Base

• 212 grams almond flour
• 192 grams powdered sugar
• 20 g cocoa powder
• 82 grams egg whites room temperature

Italian Meringue

• 90 grams egg whites room temperature
• 236 grams granulated sugar
• 90 grams water

Instructions

Chocolate Macaron Shells

• Cut parchment paper to fit your baking sheet or line with silicone mats. Set aside.
• Place almond flour, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder in a food processor and pulse to grind as finely as possible. Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl, discarding any large bits, and whisk to combine.
• Place the 90 grams of egg whites for the Italian Meringue into the bowl of a standing mixer with a whisk attachment. In a small saucepan, combine the granulated sugar and water and place over medium- high heat. DO NOT stir once the sugar begins to boil. Stir just to combine and leave it be after that.
• When the sugar hits 203℉ begin to whip the egg whites in the stand mixer at medium speed to soft peaks. If the egg whites hit soft peaks before the syrup is ready, bump the speed to low.
• Once the syrup hits 245℉, remove from the heat. Bump the mixer's speed down to medium- low and very slowly pour the syrup into the bowl, making sure not to hit the whisk. It's best to aim for the edge of the bowl. Increase the speed to medium and whip for about 8 minutes, or until the whites hold stiff, glossy peaks.
• Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the 82 grams of egg whites. Stir about ⅓ of the meringue into the flour mixture until well combined. You can be a bit rough with this first addition. Now gently fold in the remaining meringue until just before you hit ribbon stage.
• Transfer the mixture to a large pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch tip (2A). Holding the bag straight up, pipe circles onto your baking sheet by applying even pressure (don't try to draw a circle). If you are using a template, you want to fill the circles until just shy of the edge. They will spread a bit in the next step.
• Firmly bang baking sheet on the counter several times to even the batter and loosen any air bubbles. Use a toothpick to pop any surface bubbles and even out any bumps. Bang the sheet on the counter again.
• Let the macarons sit on the counter for about 30 minutes (up to an hour) to form a skin. When you touch the surface it should feel dry.
• Preheat the oven to 310°F. Once the macarons are dry, bake one sheet at a time for 14- 16 minutes, rotating the sheet every 5 minutes. Keep an eye on them and adjust the baking temperature and time as needed.
• Cool on the baking sheet for 5- 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Macaron Assembly

• Pair up the macaron shells by size and fill a piping bag fitted with a round tip.
• Pipe a blob of frosting into the center of a macaron shell, stopping before the frosting reaches the edge. Top with the other macaron shell and press lightly to spread out the buttercream.
• Place the finished macarons in the fridge overnight. Take them out about 30 minutes before serving.

Notes

• Add brown food gel to the shells or buttercream for a deeper color.
• Use dark cocoa powder for a more intense flavor and darker shell.

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