Chocolate Dipped Almond Macaroons Recipes

CHOCOLATE-ALMOND MACAROONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Finely grind the almonds, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a food processor.
• Separate one of the eggs and add the white, the other egg, and almond extract and process until the mixture holds together. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the chocolate.
• Moisten hands and roll mixture into 1-inch balls. Place on prepared cookie sheet. Flatten to 1/3-inch thick rounds.
• Bake until tops puff and centers are still soft, about 12 minutes. Remove to a rack and cool completely. Replace parchment paper for next round of cookies.

CHOCOLATE FILLED ALMOND MACARONS

Steps:

• For the ganache: Combine the chopped chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pot with 1-inch of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth. Stir in the cream, vanilla and salt, and then remove from the heat. Set aside until cooled and thickened, stirring occasionally, 30 to 45 minutes.
• For the cookies: Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a small glass or cookie cutter (1 1/4 to 1 1/2-inch wide), trace 15 circles on each piece of parchment paper, leaving about 2 inches between each round. Flip the parchment over; the lines will be visible through the paper but you will not have to pipe directly onto the ink. Fit a pastry bag with a round tip about 1/4-inch wide.
• Sift the confectioners' sugar and ground almonds into a bowl and discard any larger nut chunks. (If you have more than a tablespoon of bigger chunks, grind those until powdery and then resift.) Combine the egg whites and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or in a large bowl with the whisk attachment of a hand-held electric mixer). Whip on medium-low speed until frothy, and then add the granulated sugar. Increase the speed to medium-high and whip until very soft peaks form. Add the almond extract and a few drops of food coloring if using. Whip until stiff peaks form. Fold about one-third of the sugar-nut mixture into the egg whites until blended, and then fold in the remaining two-thirds. The batter should be a bit fluid but not runny. It should slowly drip off the spatula and sit on top of the batter in the bowl for a bit before eventually oozing back into it. If it seems a bit stiff at this point, fold once or twice more until it relaxes, although be careful not to over fold. This correct texture is the key to the macaron and it is better to have a stiffer batter than a looser one.
• Transfer the batter to the prepared pastry bag. Holding the bag perpendicular over the baking sheet, squeeze until the batter fills a circle drawn on the paper. Release the pressure on the bag and pull towards you to prevent a pointy tip on the center of the cookie. Repeat with the remaining circles. Gently flatten any points on the cookies with a damp fingertip.
• Firmly rap the baking sheets against the counter to release any air bubbles and let stand at room temperature until the tops of the cookies no longer feel wet, 10 to 15 minutes. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until the macarons are slightly crisp and the bottoms release from the parchment paper, about 15 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through the baking time. Cool on the sheet 5 minutes, and then peel off the cookies and cool completely on a wire rack.
• To assemble the cookies, spread a thin layer of the chocolate ganache on the bottoms of half of the cookies, about 1/4 teaspoon per cookie. Top with a second cookie, gently pressing to squeeze the ganache to the rims.
• TIP: The weight of the batter in the pastry bag will force some of the batter out. To stop this, you can stick a mini marshmallow at the end of your pastry tip to block to the batter from running out the end.
• TIP: You can use store-bought almond meal in place of the whole almonds. Sift 2/3 cup with the confectioners' sugar and, if necessary, grind the larger chunks and sift until a tablespoon or less of larger chunks remain in the sifter.
• TIP: You can also spoon the batter onto the parchment lined baking sheets. The cookies may not be as perfectly round but will still taste great.

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED MACAROONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 275°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place egg whites in large bowl; scrape in seeds from vanilla bean. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating until meringue is very thick (similar to marshmallow creme), about 5 minutes. Fold in coconut, then almonds. Drop batter by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared sheets, spacing mounds 1 1/2 inches apart.
• Bake macaroons until pale beige outside and dry-looking (insides will still be soft), about 25 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to racks; cool macaroons completely. Transfer macaroons to work surface; re-line pans with clean parchment.
• Place chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water. Stir chocolate until smooth; remove from over water. Dip bottom of 1 macaroon into melted chocolate to depth of 1/4 inch. Place on prepared sheet, chocolate side down. Repeat dipping with remaining macaroons. Chill until chocolate is firm, about 1 hour. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated. Let macaroons stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.)

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED ALMOND-PISTACHIO MACAROONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400-degrees, and line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Blend sugar and almonds in food processor until nuts are ground to powder, scraping down sides of bowl often, about 4 minutes.
• Add flour and blend 1 minute.
• Transfer to a large bowl and mix in pistachios.
• In a separate bowl, beat egg whites and salt until stiff but not dry.
• Fold nut mixture into whites in 4 additions (batter will be thick).
• Spoon batter by generous tablespoonfuls onto prepared sheets, spacing mounds 1 1/2-inches apart.
• Bake cookies 1 sheet at a a time until dry and cracked on top, about 10 minutes.
• Melt chocolate over double-boiler or in microwave, stirring until melted.
• Dip each cookie halfway into chocolate, shaking off excess.
• Place on foil-lined baking sheets, or on waxed paper- chill for 30 minutes.
• (Can be made 3 days ahead. Store between sheets of waxed paper in airtight container and refrigerate.) Serve at room temperature.

CHOCOLATE-FILLED ALMOND MACAROONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Generously butter heavy large nonstick cookie sheets. Blend almond paste, sugar and egg whites in processor until smooth. Drop dough by slightly rounded teaspoonfuls onto prepared sheets, spacing evenly. Press 1 almond onto each mound. Bake until cookies are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cookies rest on sheets until just cool to touch, about 5 minutes. Using spatula, transfer cookies to rack and cool completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Store cookies in airtight container at room temperature.)
• Bring cream, butter and orange peel to simmer in heavy small saucepan. Reduce heat to low. Add chocolate and stir until mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and let ganache stand until thick but spreadable, about 20 minutes.
• Spread some ganache over flat side of 1 cookie. Sandwich with flat side of another cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies and ganache. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate in airtight container. Bring cookies to room temperature before serving.)

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED MACAROONS

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 275°., Add vanilla to egg whites; beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, about 2 tablespoons at a time, beating on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Gradually fold in coconut and almonds, about 1/2 cup at a time., Drop mixture by rounded tablespoonfuls onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets, 2 in. apart. Bake until firm to the touch, about 25 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely., Dip bottoms of cookies in melted chocolate; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate 1 hour or until set. Store in airtight containers.

CHOCOLATE-FILLED ALMOND MACAROONS RECIPE

Steps:

• Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together almond paste and sugar on medium-high until almond paste breaks down and mixture is well combined, 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add almond extract and salt; beat until well combined.
• With the mixer running, add egg whites, 1 teaspoon at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. The batter should be smooth and thick enough to pipe.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a No. 4 (1/2-inch) pastry tip. Holding pastry tip about 3/4 inch above the parchment paper on prepared baking sheet, pipe a quarter-size round of batter onto parchment paper. Lift the bag off the batter a slight sideways jerking motion of your hand, producing a flat, rather than pointy, top on the cookie. Continue piping cookies about 1 inch apart, trying to finish with as small a peak as possible to leave tops rounded and smooth. Wet a finger with warm water to smooth out any remaining peaked tops; sprinkle generously with sugar. Let stand at room temperature 15 to 20 minutes so that a thin, crisp crust develops on outside of each cookie.
• Transfer baking sheets to oven and bake, rotating baking sheets top to bottom and back to front two-thirds through, until set but not browned and still gooey in the centers, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack; let cookies cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely.
• To fill cookies, place 1 teaspoon ganache on the bottom of one cookie, sandwich with the flat side of a second cookie. Repeat process with remaining ganache and cookies.

CHOCOLATE-COVERED ALMOND MACAROONS - PATISSERIE SALZBURG OF RYE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325º. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Blend almond paste and egg whites in processor until smooth. Transfer to pastry bag fitted with 1/4- to 1/3-inch-diameter smooth round tip. Pipe 1 1/2-inch-diameter rounds onto baking sheet, mounding slightly in center. Bake until light brown, about 30 minutes. Cool.
• Place semisweet chocolate in medium bowl. Bring cream to boil in small saucepan. Pour cream over chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Cool ganache until firm enough to mound on spoon, about 4 hours. (Cookies and ganache can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill cookies. Cover ganache and let stand at room temperature.).
• Transfer ganache to pastry bag fitted with 1/2-inch-diameter smooth round tip. Pipe generous amount of ganache atop center of each cookie (about 1-inch wide and 1/2-inch high). Chill cookies 2 hours.
• Stir bittersweet chocolate in small bowl set over small saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove chocolate from over water; cool slightly. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Working with 1 cookie at a time, grasp edges of cookie and dip ganache side down into melted bittersweet choolate, coating ganache and top of cookie. Transfer to prepared baking sheet, dipped side up. Repeat with remaining cookies. Chill until chocolate sets, about 20 minutes. (Cookies can be made 3 days ahead. Refrigerate in airtight container.).

CHOCOLATE ALMOND MACAROONS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Place eggs in the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until egg whites are stiff. Then add sugar slowly, and continue beating until egg whites are very thick, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Beat in cocoa until combined. Stir in almonds, and mix until completely blended. The batter should be quite thick and sticky.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment. Dampen hands, and shape about 1 heaping teaspoonful of dough into a 1-inch ball. Pinch the ball with your fingers to form a teardrop shape, and place on prepared baking sheet. Continue process, spacing cookies about 2 inches apart, until all the dough is used.
• Bake until cookies are slightly cracked, 15 to 17 minutes. Let cool on sheet for several minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• Combine shortening and melted chocolate. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of chocolate onto the flat side of a cooled cookie, and place another cookie on top. Press together gently so chocolate oozes out slightly. Return cookie to rack, and let chocolate harden. Repeat process with remaining cookies.

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED COCONUT MACAROONS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine condensed milk, almond extract, vanilla extract, salt, and egg white in a bowl. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Add about 2 1/3 cups shredded coconut. Mix with a spatula until mixture is sticky and holds together. Form into balls using a sorbet scoop.
• Roll balls in remaining coconut. Space macaroons evenly onto a silicone-lined baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden, about 20 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, at least 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place 3/4 of the chocolate in top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir frequently, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching, until chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the rest of the chocolate until it melts.
• Dip the base of each cooled macaroon about 1/8 inch into the chocolate. Place cookies, chocolate-side down, on parchment paper. Let chocolate harden completely.