Chocolate Macarons with Nutella Mousse
Sunday, 22 April 2012
I’m hoping that the title made some of my regular readers squeal with delight – I promised 4 Nutella recipes coming up and we’re on #2 with this one! After my lightbulb moment making Meyer lemon macarons (I realized they are really just cookies with a few basic steps, nothing to be afraid of), I was inspired to try making them again right away.
When I showed up to work with two different types of macarons, my coworker said, “I thought you were never going to make these again.” I didn’t think so either! But here I am making two types in one week. I conquered my fear and I know you can too – don’t let these little cookies intimidate you or stress you out. They’re only cookies after all!
This time, I added a little cocoa powder to the macaron shells and filled them with a lovely Nutella ganache. By chilling and then whipping the ganache, it became fluffy and reminds me of a mousse. If you love macarons and Nutella, these are a must-try!
What macaron flavor should I try making next?
How to make chocolate macarons:
If you use store bought almond meal, sift it and weigh to 110 grams
Put sifted almond meal in food processor with cocoa powder and powdered sugar, process for a minute
Beat egg whites until foamy
Put mixer on low and add granulated sugar to foamy egg whites
Beat egg whites and sugar until it has a stiff peak
Add dry ingredients from food processor into stiff egg whites
Fold dry ingredients into egg whites until your mixture looks like this
Prep piping bag with large round tip. Place a clip near the tip to stop the batter from flowing out and place it in a tall glass.
Pour batter into bag, take it out of the glass and twist the top. When you’re ready to pipe, remove the clip.
Pipe batter onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Let batter rest for at least 45 minutes, or until they no longer feel sticky to the touch. Brush your finger against the cookies – if they don’t feel dry, wait and try again in 15 minutes.
Bake for 12 minutes. Check to see if macarons are done by grabbing the top of one macaron and trying to shake it. They are done when the top barely slides against the skirt. If they are not done, extend baking time by two minutes intervals, checking after each extension. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.
How to make Nutella mousse:
Pour warm cream over Nutella and chocolate
Whisk until ganache is smooth
Refrigerate ganache for 30-45 minutes, until it thickens
Beat ganache until it lightens in color and becomes more fluffy like a mousse
Pair up macarons of the same size. Pipe or spoon a little Nutella mousse onto one cookie. Place the other cookie on top and press down gently.
Recipe:
Chocolate Macarons with Nutella Mousse
Adapted from Cake and Allie
Makes 20 very small macarons
Chocolate macarons:
- 110 grams almond meal (you can make your own using blanched slivered almonds)
- 200 grams minus 2 Tbs powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 100 grams egg whites (3-3 1/2 large eggs), aged in the fridge for 3-5 days (I only left them overnight; not sure how necessary this step is)
- 50 gm granulated sugar
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
If you’re using almonds: place in food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
If you’re using almond meal: run through a sifter. Place in food processor.
Add powdered sugar and cocoa powder to food processor and pulse a few times until everything is incorporated. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the egg whites for a few minutes until they are foamy. Place mixer on low and slowly add the granulated sugar to the foamy egg whites. Continue beating until egg whites have stiff peaks.
Add the dry ingredients to the egg whites and fold them in with a spatula. Fit a large round tip (I used one that is 1 1/2 inches)onto a piping bag and place a clip above it so batter won’t flow out while you fill the bag. Place the bag on a tall glass to hold it up and fill it with the batter. Twist the top shut and remove the clip. Pipe small circles (I made them 1/2-1 inch) onto the prepared baking sheets.
Let batter rest for around 45 minutes, until it feels dry (and not sticky) to the touch. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 300°F.
Bake for 12 minutes. Check to see if macarons are done by grabbing the top of one macaron and trying to shake it. They are done when the top barely slides against the skirt. If they are not done, extend baking time by two minutes intervals, checking after each extension. Remove from oven and let cool completely before adding filling.
Nutella mousse:
- ½ cup of heavy cream
- 2 oz bittersweet chocolate
- 3 Tbsp Nutella
Store macarons in the refrigerator. Let sit out for 30 minutes at room temperature before serving.
No. 1 — April 22nd, 2012 at 1:30 pm
I am licking my fingers already. They look fantastic.
Emily @ Life on Food recently posted Weekend Edition: Louisville Kentucky
No. 2 — April 22nd, 2012 at 3:53 pm
These sound amazing! They look so perfect as well! Nutella is so good in whatever application you choose to use it and this creative way is wonderful
!
Amy @ FragrantVanillaCake recently posted Peanut Butter & Jelly Cheesecake
No. 3 — April 22nd, 2012 at 5:47 pm
Nutella in macarons sounds amazing!
Elizabeth recently posted Caramel Nut Brownies
No. 4 — April 22nd, 2012 at 7:33 pm
These look like perfection. I love these. I’ve never made them but have been dying to try.
Kim Bee recently posted Pink Lemonade Ice Cream
No. 5 — April 23rd, 2012 at 9:13 am
I <3 Nutella. These look amazing! I don't have a scale. Are you able to convert the recipe into tsp, tbsp, and cups?
Thanks.
No. 6 — April 23rd, 2012 at 10:38 am
Love these, almost perfect circles! I drew circles on a white sheet I put under parchment then removed before baking. Nice trick for the first few times
No. 7 — April 23rd, 2012 at 3:11 pm
Gorgeious macarons! I love the step-by-step photos too. Makes me want to make them again too!
Rebecca recently posted Crazy for Chocolate
No. 8 — April 25th, 2012 at 3:33 pm
@Candice – macarons usually use weight measurements because they’re more accurate. Here is a recipe from David Lebovitz that lists both cups/tbsp/tsp as well as weight.
No. 9 — April 26th, 2012 at 6:23 am
ah, this looks so lovely!
your blog is beautiful and filled with wonderful baked goodies.. nice to know you stephanie..
monica adriana recently posted french apple tart
No. 10 — June 11th, 2012 at 1:42 pm
[...] Oh well, they taste amazing! Any now without further ado, I give you Nutella Macroons adapted from this amazing recipe (check it out for step by step pictures) and with much help from these awesome macroon [...]
No. 11 — August 25th, 2012 at 9:12 am
A dear friend of mine wants me to attempt to make these for her wedding day cookie table. In order for this to happen, I’d have to transport them — it’s a 3 1/2 hour plane ride. I’ve seen that macarons freeze well. Do you have any suggestions for how to pack them to minimize destruction?
Bonnycate recently posted C is for Macaron*
No. 12 — August 25th, 2012 at 9:35 am
@Bonnycate – that’s a tough one. Macarons are pretty delicate. I’d say lots and lots of padding but I honestly don’t have much experience transporting them, especially on a plane.
I did a quick Google search and found that someone asked a similar question and BraveTart said: “You can definitely do this. I would suggest baking the macarons a few days before your trip and refrigerating them for 24-36 hours before your departure. This will a) let the macarons mature, which makes them taste better, but b) also make the buttercream quite firm and the macarons less fragile.
Make a nest of tissue paper in a box, add the macarons, making sure each is nestled into the paper enough to not jostle its neighbor, and then fill the box with more tissue paper. Just don’t stack the macarons on top of each other. I’ve taken macarons to and from LA safely.
If your sister has any macaron difficulties, tell her to send me a tweet; I’ve done a lot of macaron handholding via twitter, and am glad to help. Good luck!”
No. 13 — August 25th, 2012 at 9:43 am
Stephanie, you rock! You’re the best virtual macaron mentor EVAR! I’ve got to practice the technique more before making a cookie-table-worthy batch. I loved your Meyer lemon recipe, and I think I’m going to make those lemon cookies but with a rich strawberry buttercream.
Thanks for all your help!
Bonnycate recently posted C is for Macaron*
No. 14 — August 25th, 2012 at 1:26 pm
@Bonnycate – aww thank you!
I’m happy to help. Lemon with strawberry sounds delicious. Good luck!
No. 15 — November 6th, 2012 at 3:47 pm
Stephanie:
IT WORKED! I got four dozen (frozen) Nutella macarons 1,500 miles with not a squish or a break!
Thank you so much for your ideas and your awesome recipes!
No. 16 — November 6th, 2012 at 4:02 pm
[...] to the fabulous Stephanie at 52KitchenAdventures and her awesome advice, her Nutella macarons ALSO travel superwell if you freeze them first. [...]
No. 17 — November 6th, 2012 at 4:25 pm
Bonnycate, that’s awesome! I’m so glad it all worked out for you!
No. 18 — January 6th, 2013 at 12:08 am
Looks good. Im gonna try it.
No. 19 — January 10th, 2013 at 10:46 am
[...] Przepis na same makaroniki zaczerpnięty stąd, krem własny. Ciasteczka z [...]
No. 20 — January 31st, 2013 at 10:46 pm
Hi, thx for the recipe. Just wondering what is your tray/tray liner called? The first and only time I made these they stuck on the first tray
so then the second tray I put a little non-stick spray, a big NO-NO. So what is the best kind of tray to use?
Maryam
No. 21 — February 1st, 2013 at 10:40 am
Maryam, I recommend using parchment paper or silicone baking mats on top of a regular baking pan.
No. 22 — February 6th, 2013 at 10:11 pm
[...] to both the macaron and chocolate lovers out there, we’ve found this fantastic recipe from 52 Kitchen Adventures that we know you’ll [...]
No. 23 — April 10th, 2013 at 4:42 am
Wow they look so good! Thanks for the recipe, i may have to make these for my sons bday just for me lol!