Before we jump in to these macarons, I have been meaning to tell you guys that my amazing, wonderful and talented friend Kammie just published her first e-cookbook! It’s filled with healthy single serving recipes breakfasts, snacks and desserts. It’s really great, with tons of great, simple recipes, and some really smart healthy substitutions. And even better, she is offering you guys a discount through the month of October! You can receive 25% off by using the code BLOG25. I highly recommend checking it out and showing her some love!
Okay, so I have been dying to put one of those egg white pictures on my blog for a very long time. Meringue (OMG I spelled it right on the first try–who am I??) is just so…prettttty. Macarons are notoriously challenging, fussy, and easy to mess up. I have a bad history with recipes like that, and to be honest, I usually don’t like any recipe that I can’t save if I make a mistake, but these really weren’t that hard, and I’m here to tell you that if I can make them, anyone can!
Trust me, my macarons are not perfect. They don’t have perfectly flat tops, and they don’t all look exactly the same. I toyed with whether or not I should post them for months, but I decided that in the end, food comes down to tastes and textures, and on those accounts, these babies hit it out of the park. So I bring you some imperfection, to inspire you to make macarons, and be fabulously imperfect all the time. It’s so much more fun.
I started out with an incredibly helpful tutorial on Oh Sweet Day. I knew I didn’t want to use any food colorings in my recipe (I’m sure it will happen one day, but it’s just not really my thing), and I knew I wanted a chocolate cookie, because, well…duh. Anyway, I followed her recipe almost exactly, just swapping out some cocoa powder for some of the almond flour. I made them twice to make sure there was no fluke, and sure enough it worked like a charm! I added a creamy peanut butter filling to make it taste like a Reese’s cup, and voila! Challenging dessert success!
Chocolate macarons with a creamy peanut butter filling
Ingredients
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch process)
- 2 egg whites
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 6 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 1 tbsp unsweetened almond milk (if needed)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In your food processor, combine powdered sugar, almond flour and unsweetened cocoa powder. Process until very fine. Sift mixture into a large bowl. You may need to reprocess any large chunks that can't make it through the sifter.
- In a stand mixer, beat egg whites using the whisk on medium speed until light and frothy. Reduce speed to low and slowly add sugar. Increase speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form. Be patient, it will take a few minutes. They should look like the top photo when you take the whisk out.
- Add the dry ingredients to egg whites and gently fold together using a spatula. Once ingredients are combined, fold for just an other few turns of the wrist--this is where you need to be very careful! Under-mix and you will have pointy shells, under-mix and you will have a soupy mess. You want the batter to just barely stream off the spatula when you remove it. I err on the side of caution and smooth out points later if they arise.
- Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2" round tip. Carefully pipe mixture into circles about 1 1/2" in size. If tops are pointy, you may run your finger under water and gently smooth them. Let them stand for 30 minutes until tops are glossy and smooth to the touch.
- Bake until just set, about 10-12 minutes.Place baking sheets on wire racks and allow to cool completely.
- To make filling, beat peanut butter, powdered sugar, and coconut oil together in a medium mixing bowl or stand mixer until combined. If needed, add almond milk and beat until combined.
- Gently remove macarons from baking sheet and place a small spoonful of filling on one macaron. Top with a second macaron. Repeat with the rest of the batch. Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to one week.
I wish I had one of these right now! They look so delicious, and chocolate and peanut butter is my favorite!
Rachel @ Bakerita recently posted…Banana, Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Protein Pancakes (& a giveaway!)
YUM! drool-worthy pictures as always!!!
Linz @ Itz Linz recently posted…Be an Action Hero
It may only b 5am here in Cali, but I am suddenly craving dessert!
Maureen recently posted…San Francisco Cruise
I’m usually not a macaroons type of person but if there’s PB and chocolate, I’ve gotta try it! Yum as usual if it’s coming from you!
Angela @ Happy Fit Mama recently posted…Do I Really Want to Do That Again?
I personally think these look MAGNIFICENT! 🙂
Kristi @ lifesprinkles recently posted…Procrastination Revelation
Ummm… drooling over here, say what!
Kammie @ Sensual Appeal recently posted…Why You Should Start Running Today
Omg! These are not only suuuuuuper pretty, but also peanut butter packed?! I’m in love!
ashley – baker by nature recently posted…Tinted Confetti Cupcakes
I don’t care that they aren’t perfect, they look DELICIOUS! Peanut butter cups or anything like that is my weakness!!
Jamie @ couchtoironwoman recently posted…The Thing About Running
I’m drooling over that peanut butter filling! So impressed that you made macarons. And they’re not imperfect, each one just has its own personality. I like food better that way!
Christin@SpicySouthernKitchen recently posted…Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Bourbon Whipped Cream
Can I be honest with you Ari? I drool a HUGE BUCKET FULL whenever I come to your blog!!! You still need to make some of your recipes GIGI approved though, LOL!!!!!
GiGi Eats Celebrities recently posted…A Soup Even The Clueless Can Make!
what a very beautiful photograph you have here. I look like the pictures are speaking to me.
Shobelyn Dayrit recently posted…Yellow Sponge Cakes with Mascarpone Whipped Cream
Yum! These are beautiful! I love the flavor idea!
Erin | The Emerging Foodie recently posted…Cranberry Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Cream Cheese Icing
Oh man, I know ALL about those struggles in terms of whether or not to post something because of perfectionist tendencies! Well, they certainly look beautiful to me and I think it shows that you’re a down to earth gal we can all relate to. 🙂
Katy @ KatysKitchen recently posted…Apple Cinnamon Muffins
My record on preparing macarons isn’t very successful as well but I think I’ll give this recipe a try.
Love the Peanut butter filling, great idea to match these two flavors for a delicious macaron with a twist.
Daniela recently posted…Subtle French Temptation: Creme Brulée with Blueberries and My First Blogging Annniversary
Who cares if they’re all perfect?! They look freaking amazing to me. And what a killer combination of flavors – obviously. Amazing job on these Ari. I would love to try to make macarons at home one day.
sally @ sallys baking addiction recently posted…Skinny Almond Joy Milkshakes.
These look so good! And perfection isn’t important, presentation & taste are the keys in my case. And your presentation looks beautiful! Can’t wait to taste them. 🙂
Heather @ Better With Veggies recently posted…Time to Trim the Fat {5 Weeks to Go!}
These look absolutely PERFECT! There’s no better combo than peanut butter and chocolate. Thanks for sharing and love your site!
Kelly Senyei | Just a Taste recently posted…Easy Pad Thai with Chicken
I’m allergic to coconut and was wondering what could be used instead of coconut oil???? Thanks!
Butter would be best–you just may need to play with the amount a bit to get the right consistency.
What would be a good replacement for the coconut oil in this recipe? My mother is allergic but I want to make this recipe for her.
Hi Emerald, you can use butter. Enjoy!
This sounds amazing and they look great! I didn’t see in your instructions the step to tap the cookie sheet, right after piping out the batter. That might be where you’re getting slight bumps. Other common cause is not sifting, but I see you do that.