I get ambitious with my baking during the holidays and special occasions. I make Dominique Ansel’s champagne macarons. In full disclosure, they come with a warning label. There is no hiding there are ton of sugar in macarons; they are not the healthiest of desserts. Now the disclaimer is out of the way, I can let loose the compulsion to create something beautiful and delightful.
Making these macarons has taken on a journey of its own. Here is the deal. If the goal is just to make macarons, there is always the trusty and fool-proof recipe we can lean on. (That’s worked for me after researching and experimenting several recipes for months.) Somehow, I can’t quite let go of the idea of trying something different and challenging I haven’t done before. Who knows? Perhaps, in the process, I may find something new about making macarons, or about myself.
Above all, there are the sparkles I can look at and admire in these champagne cookies. To start, the rosé champagne ganache between the macaron shells has one quarter cup of rosé champagne in it. However, it’s hard for the flavor of champagne to stand out against the dark chocolate, which is the dominant ingredient in the ganache. You don’t taste the sparkling wine, but it’s there. During the multi-day process, you start with mixing a quarter-cup of champagne with water right off the bat. (See the recipe below for details.) Not enough, there is the other sparkle. This one is more visible, it’s much harder to miss. It is the last ingredient on the list: the over-the-top gold leaf which I gingerly and selectively dab on top of the macaron shelves.
Well, it’s exhilarating at the start when you’re filled with anticipation. As you get to the end of a long and laborious process, you feel a sense of relief. That how I felt when I began making the rosé champagne ganache and ended with dabing gold leaf on the finished macarons.
What’s happened between the first and the last act was most arresting and remarkable to note. It’s at the heart of making the macarons — the shells, that you can’t really skip. Maybe I should have. By and large, I’m not a quitter. Nevertheless, I’m glad no one was around to hear the sighs, swearings and to witness the utter frustration, disappointment — and the full range of emotions. If you still feel like making these champagne macarons, read on.
What I had the most trouble was in cooking the syrup and adding it to the whipped egg white (step 12-14). Perfecting the Italian meringues takes mileage and practice. Barring that, there is an off-ramp I can offer that can make life a bit easier. Try the French meringue method here instead.
In general, macarons are made by folding meringue into almond flour and powdered sugar. Swiss (and Italian) meringues are cooked while French is not. Cooking the meringue tends to stabilize the batter that will better withstand the heat and humidity of the kitchen. I learned to bake macarons in Paris using the Italian meringue technique, but I’ve found only fleeting success in my own kitchen in the US.
Over the years I’ve gotten the hang of the French meringue, I prefer it to the Italian. (By the way, I won’t stop making the Italian meringue.) I find the French meringue to be simpler. I don’t have to worry about boiling small amounts of syrup and whipping up fragile egg whites with molten sugar. All I have to do is to get all the ingredients in place, combine, beat, pipe, allow to rest and then bake.
There is a caveat: what has worked in my kitchen may not work in yours. There is the almost universal view that macarons require a very individual approach. This is one of the reasons there is so many variations in recipes out there. Finding what will work at your location, in your kitchen, in your ovens, with your ingredients may take some tinkerings. Happy baking!
Champagne Macarons | Dominique Ansel
Ingredients
- FOR THE CHAMPAGNE GANACHE:
- Water, 2 tbsp/ 20g
- Rosé Champagne, 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp/ 96g
- Unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 1/2 tbsp/ 9g
- Heavy Cream, 1/2 cup / 115g
- Egg yolks (large), 3 each/ 60g
- Granulated sugar, 3 tbsp/ 38g
- Dark chocolate (66% cocoa content), finely chopped, 1 cup + 1 tbsp/ 165g
- MACARON SHELLS:
- Almond flour, 2 cups/ 180g
- Confectioners' sugar, sifted, 1 3/4 cups/ 203g
- Egg whites (large), aged, 5 each/ 150g
- Red food coloring, gel, as needed
- Water, 2 tbsp/ 30g
- Granulated sugar, 3/4 cup/ 154g
- Gold flakes, as needed (optional)
Instructions
MAKE GANACHE: Two days before
Combine the water, 2 tbsp/ 26g of the Champagne, and the cocoa powder in a small bowl. Whisk to make a smooth paste.
Combine the heavy cream and the remaining 1/4 cup/ 70gg Champagne in a small pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat.
Whisk the egg yolks and granulated sugar together in a second small bowl. Stream one-third of the hot cream and Champagne into the egg yolks, whisking constantly until fully blended, to temper them. Whisk the tempered yolks into the remaining hot cream and Champagne and return the pot to medium heat.
Continue to cook the custard over medium heat, whisking constantly. The custard will thicken and become a pale yellow. When the custard reaches 185°F (85°C) and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, remove it from the heat. Add cocoa powder paste and whisk until fully incorporated.
Place the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Strain the custard through a medium sieve over the chocolate. Let stand for 30 seconds.
Whisk the custard and chocolate together until smooth, about 30 seconds. When finished, the ganache will have the consistency of mayonnaise. Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface of the ganache, to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate overnight to set.
MAKE SHELLS: One day before
Whisk the almond flour and confectioners' sugar together in a medium bowl until there are no lumps.
With a rubber spatula, stir in 3 of the egg whites (90g) to create a thick paste. Add red food coloring as needed to turn the dark pink.
Pour the remaining 2 egg whites (60g) into a stand mixer fitted with a whisk. Begin whipping them on medium speed.
Combine the water and granulated sugar in a small pot. Mix with your hand to create "wet sand," making sure all the sugar is moistened. Set over medium heat and bring to a boil. Cook the syrup without stirring until in reaches 241°F (116°C).
When the egg whites have tripled in volume and form medium peaks, turn the speed to high and slowly pour the hot syrup down the insdie edge of the bowl, making sure to avoid hitting the whisk. When all the syrup has been incorporated, continue to whip on high speed for 1 minute more.
With a rubber spatula, fold one-third of the meringue into the almond flour base. When incorporated, fold in the remaining meringue. Continue to gently the macaron batter until all the lumps are gone. The batter should still be slightly warm to the touch.
Cut the tip a piping bag to fit #803 plain tip. Using a rubber spatula, place 2 large scoops of macaron batter in the bag so that it is one-third full. Push the batter down toward the tip of the bag.
Line two half sheet pans or one large sheet pan with parchment paper. At each corner, pipe a small dot of batter under the parchment and push the parchment flat. This will help keep it "glued" to the sheet pan.
Holding the piping bag at a 90-degree angle about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) above the pan, pipe dots of macaron batter 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) in diameter, spacing the macarons at least 2 inches (5 cm) apart.
Carefully tap the sheet pans by lifting them up a few inches in the air and dropping them flat on the work surface. This will help spread the batter slightly and knock out any air bubbles.
Let the macarons air-dry for about 1 hour. A thin skin will form on the macarons so that when they bake they will keep their shape.
While the macarons are drying, place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 275°F (135°C) for conventional or 250°F (120°C) for convection.
Make the macarons on the center rack for about 10 minutes. Rotate the pan 180 degrees and bake for 10 minutes more. The macaron shells should be dry and firm to the touch. During the baking process, they will slightly rise from the base and form the signature "foot."
Let the shell dry, still on the parchment paper, cool completely. Carefully peel them from the parchment paper.
FILL AND ASSEMBLE: One day before
Match 2 macaron shells that are the same size. Place them flat side up and slightly indent the center of each shell by gently pressing with your thumb. This will help create a pocket for the ganache. Repeat for all the shells.
Using a rubber spatula, work the ganache into a smooth paste.
Cut the tip of piping bag to snugly fit a #804 plain tip. Using a rubber spatula, place 2 scoops of ganache in the bag so that it is one-third full. Push the ganache down toward of the bag.
Holding the piping bag at a 90-degree angle about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) above the shell, pipe a large dollop of ganache into the pocket of one third of the shell pair. The ganache should fill the pocket and cover about two-thirds of the surface of the shell.
Sandwich the two shells together, pressing until a thin line of ganache is visible all the way around the macaron. Repeat with the remaining shells.
Return the filled macarons to the sheet pan and cover loosely in plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight so the macarons can "age." They must spend some time in the refrigerator to allow the ganache to slowly soften the shell.
SERVE: The day of
Test to ensure that the outside of the macaron is still crisp but the inside has softened. If the inside is still crisp, rest in the refrigerator for a few hours longer.
Lightly dab a drop of water on the top shell with a pastry brush. Using the tip of a paring knife, gently sprinkle gold flakes and lay them over the macaron.
Notes
Adapted from Dominique Ansel's "The Secret Recipes"
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