French Chocolate Macarons
1 cup (125g) powdered sugar
1/2 cup (50g) powdered almonds
3 tbsp (25g) unsweetened cocoa powder
grind until a fine powder is obtained
sift the mixture
discard the larger lumps
2 large egg whites (66g), at room temperature
pinch of salt
beat the egg whites until they begin to rise and hold their shape
beat in 5 tbsp (75g) granulated sugar until very stiff and firm, for about 2 minutes
fold the dry ingredients in two batches
...until the mixture is smooth and there are no streaks of egg white
pastry bag with a 1/2 inch (1 cm) plain tip
pipe the batter in 1 inch (2.5cm) circles spaced 1 inch (2.5cm) apart
rap the baking sheet a few times firmly on the counter to remove air bubbles
allow to sit for 20 to 30 minutes until a skin forms
bake for 10-15 minutes in a preheated 350°F (180°C) oven
let cool completely then remove from baking sheet
4 oz (120g) semisweet/bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup (120g) heavy whipping cream
heat the cream until boils to the edges
1 tsp (2g) instant coffee powder, optional
pour over chocolate
let sit for 1 minute
stir until smooth
stir in 1 tbsp (14g) butter, optional
cool completely before serving
choose similar sized shells to sandwich together
fill with chocolate ganache
let them stand at least one day before serving, to meld the flavors