Description
Delight in the elegant and luscious Dark Chocolate Raspberry Macarons, featuring delicate almond meringue shells filled with rich dark chocolate ganache and a vibrant hint of raspberry jam. Perfectly crispy on the outside and soft inside, these French-inspired macarons combine the bittersweet depth of dark chocolate with the fruity brightness of raspberry for a sophisticated treat.
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
Ganache Filling
- 150 g dark chocolate, chopped
- 100 ml heavy cream
- 1 tsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp raspberry jam (can substitute with strawberry jam)
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper to ensure even baking and easy removal of the macarons.
- Sift Dry Ingredients: Sift the almond flour and powdered sugar together into a bowl to eliminate lumps and create a smooth texture for the batter.
- Whip Egg Whites: In a separate clean bowl, whip the room temperature egg whites with cream of tartar and a pinch of salt until frothy, which helps stabilize the meringue.
- Add Sugar Gradually: Slowly add granulated sugar to the whipping egg whites, continuing to whip until stiff peaks form, indicating that the meringue is ready. Add black gel food coloring if a Halloween flair or darker shells are desired.
- Fold Ingredients: Carefully fold the sifted dry ingredients into the meringue in batches, mixing gently until the batter is glossy and flows like lava, a perfect consistency for piping.
- Pipe Macarons: Pipe the batter into small, even rounds on the prepared baking sheets, then gently tap the sheets to release any trapped air bubbles for smooth shells.
- Rest: Allow the piped macarons to rest at room temperature for 30-60 minutes until a skin forms on their surface to prevent cracking during baking.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes. After baking, let the macarons cool completely on the baking sheets to firm up before handling.
- Prepare Ganache: Heat the heavy cream until simmering and immediately pour it over the chopped dark chocolate. Let it sit for one minute to melt, then stir gently until smooth and glossy.
- Add Butter and Cool: Incorporate unsalted butter into the ganache for extra richness and allow the mixture to cool until it thickens enough for piping.
- Assemble Macarons: Match macaron shells by size. Pipe a ring of ganache onto one shell, add a dollop of raspberry jam in the center, then sandwich with another shell to complete the macaron.
Notes
- Ensure egg whites are at room temperature to achieve maximum volume and stable meringue.
- Sifting dry ingredients helps avoid clumps and creates a smooth batter essential for delicate macarons.
- Resting the piped shells until a dry skin forms is critical to prevent cracking during baking.
- If black gel food coloring is unavailable, you can omit it; the macarons will have a natural pale color.
- For best flavor, use high-quality dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa content for the ganache.
- Macarons are best stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and consumed within 3 days for optimal freshness.
- Allow assembled macarons to sit refrigerated for at least 24 hours before serving to let flavors meld beautifully.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 macarons (1 sandwich)
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 20 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
Keywords: Dark Chocolate Macarons, Raspberry Macarons, French Dessert, Almond Macarons, Chocolate Ganache, Raspberry Jam, Elegant Treat
