Chocolate-Orange Macarons
Hundreds of years, the French macaron—two slightly domed shells sandwiched together with ganache, buttercream, or preserves—was only known in France, and had not traveled outside of its country of origin. Then, in late 20th century, French chefs in New York slowly began making the exquisite cookie on American shores, and the macaron became a sensation. The ingredient amounts must be carefully calibrated and may be slightly off when translated to the American volume system, so weighing works best. (A kitchen scale is an essential item in a well-stocked kitchen, anyway, and can be bought inexpensively at any kitchenware shop and online.)
Servings
16cookies
Servings
16cookies
Ingredients
Macarons
  • 8large egg whites
  • 2cups (200 g) almond flour made from blanched almonds
  • 3 1/2cups (350 g) confectioner’s sugar
  • 1/4cup (20 g) natural or Dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • 1/4cup plus 2 teaspoons (60 g) granulated sugar
Ganache
  • 6oz (170 g) bittersweet (about 60% cacao) chocolate, finely chopped
  • 3/4cup (180 mL) heavy cream
  • 1/4cup (55 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1tablespoon Grand Marnier or another orange-flavored liqueur
  • finely grated zest of ½ navel orange
Instructions
  1. About 2 days before baking, refrigerate the egg whites, covered loosely with a paper towel, for 24 to 48 hours.
  2. When ready to make the batter, transfer the egg whites to a grease-free large bowl, and let stand, uncovered, at room temperature for 2 hours.
  3. Pulse the almond flour, confectioners’ sugar, and cocoa in a food processor about 10 times, until well combined. (You may do this in batches.) Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
  4. Whip the whites with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until they form soft peaks. Gradually beat in the granulated sugar and continue whipping the whites until they form very stiff and shiny peaks, about 3 minutes. If you turn the bowl upside down, the whipped whites should cling to the bowl. If not, beat longer. (This is somewhat longer than the stage that you may normally whip stiff peaks.)
  5. Sift half of the almond mixture in a wire sieve over the meringue mixture, rubbing any coarse bits through the sieve, and fold it in with a large spatula. The meringue will deflate. Repeat with the remaining almond mixture until the mixture is thoroughly combined. The batter should flow in a thick ribbon rom the spatula.
  6. Line three 17 by 13-inch (42.5 by 33-cm) half-sheet pans with silicone baking mats or parchment paper, preferably the mats. Transfer about the batter to a large pastry bag fitted with a ½-inch (12-mm) plain pastry tip. Pipe the batter on the baking sheets in 2½-inch (6-cm) rounds, spacing them about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart, allowing 12 rounds for each baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining batter. Firmly rap the sheets a couple of times on the work surface to disperse any air bubbles inside the macarons. If peaks are visible on the macaroons, pat them down with a fingertip dipped in water. Set the sheets aside aside at room temperature until a thin skin forms on the surface of the macarons, and they are not tacky or sticky when touched, 20 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the weather.
  7. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 300ºF (150ºC). One sheet at a time, bake the macarons for 15 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet from front to back for even baking. Continue baking until the macarons are crisp and you can carefully slide a small offset metal spatula under a macaron to release it. (They won’t be truly easy to remove from the sheet until they have cooled.) Let the macarons cool completely on the sheet.
  8. To make the ganache: Meanwhile, bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Put the chocolate in a medium bowl. Pour in the hot cream and let stand for 3 minutes to soften the chocolate. Whisk until the ganache is smooth. Add the butter and whisk until it is absorbed. Whisk in the liqueur and orange zest. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until the ganache is firm enough to hold its shape when spooned, about 1 hour. Do not let the ganache cool until it is hard.
  9. Transfer the ganache to a pastry bag fitted with a ½-inch (12-mm) opening. For each cookie, pipe a generous tablespoon of the ganache onto the flat side of a macaron. Top with another macaron, flat sides facing each other. Gently press them together until the ganache oozes to the edge of the macaron “sandwich.”
  10. Transfer the macarons to a platter and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 5 days. Remove the macarons from the refrigerator for 15 minutes before serving.