Here is my recipe for Chocolate Hazelnut Macarons, these are basically Nutella Macarons. These macrons have a two chocolate and hazelnut macaron shell sandwich in between a smooth Nutella ganache filling. These macrons may take longer to dry out due to the addition of hazelnuts in the macaron mixture, so be patient it will be worth it! This recipe makes 24 macarons.
Ingredients:
Chocolate Hazelnut Macarons:
60g Hazelnuts
60g Ground Almonds
115g Icing Sugar
2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
2 x Egg Whites
40g Caster Sugar
Macaron Decoration:
20g Chopped Hazelnuts
Nutella Ganache:
180g Nutella
160ml Double Cream
1. Pour the hazelnuts into a food processor and blitz until the hazelnuts become a fine powder.
2. Next place the ground almonds, icing sugar and cocoa powder and then blitz again.
3. In a large clean mixing bowl pour the egg whites. Then mix the egg whites until the egg whites reach the soft peak stage.
4. Next, while mixing slowly add the caster sugar until the egg whites meet the stiff peak stage. At this stage, the meringue should be nice and glossy.
5. Sieve 1/3 of the dry ingredients into the meringue and fold the dry ingredients into the meringue using a figure of eight motion.
6. Then sieve the rest of the dry ingredients and fold until all of the dry ingredients are fully incorporated. Keep folding the mixture until you macaron batter reaches the ribbon stage.
6. Transfer the macaron mixture into a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 2A Round Tip and then pipe the macaron batter onto a baking tray lined with baking parchment.
7. Sprinkle the chopped hazelnuts over macarons and then tap the baking tray on the work surface. This will burst any large air bubbles in the macarons which helps you get a more even rise. Leave the macarons dry for 30-60 minutes. Pre-heat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas Mark 3.
8. While the macarons are drying make the Nutella ganache. Heat the double cream in a pan on the hob until the double cream starts to simmers. Next, add the Nutella into a large mixing bowl, then pour the double cream on to the Nutella and mix until the ingredients become evenly incorporated. Leave the Nutella ganache to cool in the fridge for 1 hour.
9. Once the macarons have dried out, place the macarons in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Once the macarons are baked, remove them from the oven and leave to cool for 30 minutes.
10. When the macarons are cooled, place the Nutella ganache into a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 2A Round Tip. Then pipe the Nutella ganache on to the macaron shells.
11. Next place another macaron top.
