Espresso and Dark Chocolate French Macarons

Chocolate and coffee lovers, this one's for you. These unassuming little French macarons may look dainty and polite, but they pack a serious punch of decadent dark chocolate and a sneaky shot of espresso in their velvety filling. One bite and you'll be saying "au revoir" to boring desserts forever.

This was my first time making macarons, and I was delightfully surprised with how they turned out. While my sizing and piping could use a bit of work, the flavor is just divine. If you're a beginner (like me), Sally's Baking Addiction has great tips on how to make the perfect French macarons.

Ingredients:

For the macarons

• 3 egg whites, room temperature

• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

• 1/3 cup caster (or superfine) sugar

• 1 cup almond flour, sifted

• 1 2/3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

• 2 teaspoons espresso powder, sifted

• 1/2 teaspoon cocoa powder

For the dark chocolate mocha buttercream

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1.5 cups powdered sugar

• 1 teaspoon espresso powder

• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Helpful tools

(I bought these all before baking and highly recommend)

• Fine mesh strainer, for sifting

• Round decorating tip, for piping macarons and filling

• Silicone macaron baking mat, for piping evenly-sized cookies

Directions:

For the macarons

1. Sift together almond flour, powdered sugar, and espresso powder into a large bowl and set aside.

2. In another bowl, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and vanilla extract on medium speed with a stand mixer or hand mixer until foamy and small peaks form (will take a few minutes). Slowly add the castor sugar in 1/3 increments, beating in between. Continue beating on medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form.

3. Fold in 1/3 of the dry ingredients using a spatula until fully combined. Gently fold in another third of the mixture and continue until combined. Fold the batter until it reaches a “flowing lava” consistency. You should be able to make a “figure 8” with the batter before it breaks. Stop mixing once you reach this consistency to prevent over-mixing.

4. Line a large baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Scoop the batter into a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Hold the piping bag perpendicular to the mat and pipe 1-inch rounds.

5. Pick up the baking sheet and drop it onto the counter 3-4 times to bring any air bubbles to the surface, then use a toothpick to pop any visible bubbles for a smooth finish. Let the macarons sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour until a skin forms on the surface. You should be able to lightly touch the surface without disturbing the batter.

6. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 300°F and place macrons in the center of the oven rack when ready.

7. Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until the top of the macaron seems set.

8. Cool the macarons on the baking mat for 15 minutes until transferring to a wire rack to cool.

For the dark chocolate mocha buttercream filling

1. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, powdered sugar, espresso powder, cocoa powder, and vanilla until smooth and creamy.

2. Continue beating. the buttercream for 3-5 minutes on high speed until fluffy.

3. Spoon buttercream into a piping bag and pipe about a tablespoon of the frosting onto a cooled macaron. Top with another macaron and lightly squish together.

4. Put the assembled macarons in an airtight container and place in the fridge. The macarons are best 12-24 hours after baking and can. be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.

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