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baileys macarons
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Chocolate Baileys Macarons

Chocolate Baileys Macarons - chocolate macaron shell filled with a Bailey's Irish cream ganache!
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Resting time1 hour
Total Time55 minutes
Cuisine: dessert
Servings: 16 macarons
Calories: 198kcal

Ingredients

For the macaron shells

  • 1 packed cup (145) grams almond flour
  • 2/3 packed cup (145) grams confectioners' sugar
  • 1/4 cup 25 grams Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • pinch fine sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon (5 grams) powdered egg white
  • 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (115 grams) aged egg whites, about 4 eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon 3 grams cream of tartar

For the filling

Instructions

  • Place the almond flour, confectioners sugar, and cocoa powder in the bowl of a food processor and pulse 4 times for 3 seconds each to combine them. Scrape the sides of the bowl in between pulses with a spatula. Sift with fine-mesh strainer onto a sheet of waxed paper. 
  • With a hand whisk, whisk together the powdered egg whites and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar until the mixture is homogenous.  Set the bowl and whisk attachment on the mixer on medium speed until the meringue is glossy and forms stiff peaks, about 11 minutes. Once the meringue reaches stiff peaks and resembles marshmallow fluff, stop the mixer. Turn the bowl upside down to check that you have reached the right stage, the meringue should not slip in the bowl.
  • With a spatula, quickly fold the sifted dry ingredients into the meringue. The meringue batter should flow off the spatula when you pick it up out of the bowl like lava in ribbons. If it doesn't flow off the spatula, keep folding. 
  • Spoon the batter in a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip. Fill the bag halfway, leaving the rest of the meringue in the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap so it doesn't dry out. Pipe the meringue on to a baking sheet with parchment paper, silicone mat, or macaron mat 1 1/2 inches apart from one another. Once they are piped, firmly slam the baking sheet down to remove excess air. Let the shells dry at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour until the tops are dry. Then bake in a 300oF oven for about 12-15 minutes until the feet are firm and the shells are easily removed from the baking sheets. Remove the mat and place onto a cooling rack.  Allow the shells to cool on a cooling rack for about an hour before filling them.
  • To make the ganache. Chop the chocolate and place in a medium bowl. Heat the cream and Bailey's irish cream in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until very warm to the touch. You can also do this in a saucepan on the stove over medium heat until the cream is simmering. Then pour over the chopped chocolate. Let sit for 5 minutes then stir until smooth. Allow the ganache to firm up a bit before piping between the shells. 
  • When ready to fill the macarons, turn them over so that the flat side faces you. Pipe the filling on half the shells, about 1/2-inch high leaving a bit of room on the edges. Place another matching size flat-side down onto the filling to make a sandwich. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze them for up to 3 weeks.

Notes

  • Use A Kitchen Scale: Measure your ingredients with a scale. I can’t stress that enough! Macarons are tricky, but take some of the guesswork out of it- and use a kitchen scale. I love my kitchen scale and use it all the time. And definitely for this recipe.
  • Making the macaronage. When you add your the almond mixture to your egg whites, you want to mix so that it is thick, smooth and flowing like lava from your spatula. This is a super important step called the macaronage. You actually want to get the air OUT of the batter at this point, which might be different than any egg white mixture you’ve made before.  Let the batter ribbon on itself and it should hold it’s shape for about 8 to 10 seconds. Now you’re ready to go…
  • Use a silicone baking mat. The silicone surface will ensure your macarons come off the mat easily as opposed to scraping those expensive little almond shells off a non stick surface and cursing up a storm as you watch all that effort go to waste.
  • Use a piping bag with round pastry tip. I used this one.  This will ensure that you will make even sized macaron circles.
  • Gently tap your cookie sheet. By tapping your cookie sheet  after piping your macarons to get any excess air out. Just pick your cookie sheet a few inches off the counter and let it drop. If you see any air bubbles float to the surface, just use a toothpick to pop them.
  • Let your macarons dry before baking. By letting them  dry out by letting them sit on your counter after piping before baking. Allow them to sit for about 45 minutes before baking. They should be dry to the touch.
  • Make ahead: the chocolate ganache can be made ahead of time. This can be a labor intensive recipe but if you break up the recipe over a few days,even two you will thank yourself.

Nutrition

Calories: 198kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 37mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 23g