Chocolate-Mint and Cacao-Blackberry French Macarons
Two new recipes for delicious French macarons await you in this post. Whether you like the classical combination of chocolate and mint or you enjoy new flavors combinations, these beautiful cookies will not disappoint you.
I shared my experience in preparing the perfect French macaron in a separate blog post. There you can find my secrets for successful macarons. Secrets that I learned along the many years I have been making the cookies. Homemade French macarons are not only delicious and affordable but they allow you to experiment with various flavor combinations.
For chocolate lovers here, I am now sharing a recipe for mint-flavored chocolate macarons. If you are looking to add freshness to your cookies, mint will always be the right choice. And when you combine it with rich dark chocolate and a hint of matcha green tea, the result is more than satisfactory. The bitter flavor of the dark chocolate and the matcha cancel out some of the sweetness of the macarons for a more balanced taste.
Indeed, the French macarons can be very sweet as they contain quite a bit of sugar. And yet, you would likely not consume French macarons in great quantities or every day. However, there is a way to make the cookies slightly healthier by replacing the white sugar with coconut sugar. According to studies the latter maintains low blood sugar levels and prevents sugar peaks. French macarons with coconut sugar are slightly a healthier version of the original French cookies but what is even more important - coconut sugar adds to the flavor of the treat. Added to baked goods, coconut sugar brings a caramel flavor. Lastly, cacao and blackberry curd complete the flavor combinations in this recipe.
Chocolate-Mint French Macarons with Matcha
... or as I like to call them - "After Eight" Macarons.
Ingredients:
Shell:
1 egg white
30 g hazelnut flour
10 g matcha powder
65 g confection sugar
15 g sugar
Ganache:
100 g dark chocolate
100 ml coconut milk
5 drops of mint essential oil
The complete guide to shell preparation is detailed in my blog post Tips and Tricks for the Perfect French Macaron. There you will find all the key steps in making the cookies and the chocolate ganache. Follow the instructions closely to ensure the best results.
Cacao and Coconut Sugar Macarons with Blackberry Curd
If you want to enjoy the treasures of September, the blackberries, in combination with cacao, this healthier version of the French macaron is for you. Here we replace white sugar with coconut sugar, add cacao and a fresh fruit flavor.
Ingredients:
Shell:
1 egg white
30 g hazelnut flour
10 g cacao powder
65 g coconut icing sugar
15 g sugar
Blackberry curd:
50 g blackberries
1 egg yolk
25 ml maple syrup
Shell: The shell preparation is detailed in my blog post Tips and Tricks for the Perfect French Macaron. In this particular recipe, I replace the almond flour with hazelnut flour and the white icing sugar with coconut icing sugar. The coconut icing sugar can be easily made using a blender. I also add cacao powder to make a chocolate shell. Since coconut sugar contains more moisture than regular sugar, you may need to bake the shells slightly longer (from 2 to 6 minutes longer). The baking time would also depend on whether you use baking paper or silicone molds. Detailed instructions on how to find out if the macarons are well-baked are described in the aforementioned blog post.
Curd: The blackberry curd is easy and fast to prepare. Here are the instructions:
Mash the blackberries with a fork and add them to a saucepan.
Add the rest of the ingredients to the saucepan.
Bring the saucepan to the stove at medium heat. Stir constantly. In 5 to 10 minutes the mixture will start thickening up.
When the mixture is thick enough, remove it from the heat and filter it to remove the seeds of the blackberries and make a smooth curd.
After it cools down, put the curd in the fridge for at least an hour.
Finally, all you need to do is sandwich the shells with the blackberry curd and enjoy this unique flavor combination.
Bon appetite!
