French Macarons (with Nutella)
I bet this Texas girl would have never had the chance to taste a French macaron unless she moved to California. Trends seem to take their time creeping down South, sometimes never making it at all. There’s nothing wrong with that, but after taking one bite of a macaron, I don’t think I could have waited any longer. My first macaron was from the Bouchon Bakery in Napa Valley. I took one bite of the raspberry macaron and my head spun around. Thinking that the dizziness was due to the champagne we had just enjoyed across the street at Domaine Chandon, I went back for a second macaron: lemon this time. And before I left, I had to make triple sure my swooning was properly directed with a vanilla macaron. I can safely say that the fuss made over these cookies is 100% well-deserved.
I used Anne Thornton’s recipe as a guide for scaling down because her recipe uses meringue powder to ensure perfect results every time.
| French Macarons (with Nutella) |
- 1 older egg white
- 1 tablespoon meringue powder
- 1/3 cup + 1 1/2 teaspoons almond meal
- 1/3 cup + 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 6 teaspoons Nutella
- Begin by bringing the egg white to room temperature.
- Line a small half-sheet pan with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, sift together almond meal and powdered sugar.
- In a medium bowl, beat the egg white with an electric mixer.
- Once frothy, slowly add the merginue powder while beating continuously.
- Once the meringue has soft floppy peaks, stop beating. Then, in 3 increments, add in the the almond meal and powdered sugar. Gently fold it in using a spatula (scrape down the middle and sweep the sides carefully).
- Once everything is well incorporated, scoop the mixture into a plastic bag or pastry bag. This is easier if the bag is inside a tall glass. Squeeze the mixture down to one side and snip the corner off of the bag.
- Squeeze gently to make 12 perfectly round circles on the baking pan. Use your finger tip to gently press away any peaks.
- Let the cookies sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes before baking. Before the cookies go into the oven, they should appear dry. This takes longer on humid days. While waiting, preheat the oven to 300°.
- Bake the cookies in the middle rack of the oven for 14-16 minutes. They are done when the tops are dry and they have risen up to reveal their ‘feet.’
- Let cool on the baking sheet, then carefully remove them to a rack.
- Spread 1 teaspoon of Nutella on 6 cookies, then press the 6 remaining cookies on top to make 6 sandwich cookies.
*You truly need older egg whites for these cookies. After I make a dessert using an egg yolk, I put my leftover white in a small bowl covered with plastic wrap. I store it in my fridge for about a week before using it.
*I made my own almond meal by finely chopping a scant 1/2 cup of raw, whole almonds. I then grind them in a coffee grinder. Be careful not to make almond butter-2 or 3 pulses is all it takes. Sift very well before using.
Gorgeous and delicious looking macarons!
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Oh, they look flawless! So elegant and enticing… What a treat.
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yum. i’ve always wanted to try to make my own, but always thought they were very complicated. this recipe looks much more straightforward!
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These look so gorgeous! I’ve never been lucky enough to try one so I am going to have to try your recipe!
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I have never had a macaron
I want one of yours!!!!!
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You have just combined two of the greatest things! Mmmm! Bookmarked to try!
Mary xo
Delightful Bitefuls
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stunning pic, featured on tasty kitchen..congrats!! lovely flavors!! have a sweet week!
sweetlife
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Love the mini-batch – they’re beautiful!
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Wow, these macarons came out perfect Christina! Great job on them, and I love the flavors you used, especially the Nutella.
Thanks for sharing. I’m glad to have found your beautiful blog and am going to explore more of your recipes! 
– Georgia
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Christina Reply:
May 10th, 2011 at 12:21 pm
Thanks so much, Georgia! I’m so glad you gave them a try and they worked perfectly! That makes my day
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Oh! Your macs look perfect and I specially like the Nutella filling…so yummie! The picture is awesome! Have a wonderful week Christina
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these are perfect
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Macaroons are lovely, with their chunky bite-sizes!
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Looks fantastic , I love macarons, also make my own almond flour using the coffee grinder. On my very first time became a paste. Very good tip
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Oh man. I think I’m in love.
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Look: a shower of awards for you! http://en.alterkitchen.it/2011/05/11/blue-cheese-and-pears-risotto/
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New follower here!
I love Nutella, so I am sure I’d love these macaroons!
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delurking – I <3 your blog. I've always wanted to try making macarons, but did not want to end up wasting too many eggs & sugar. This sounds perfect. I'm going to try them out right away =)
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I love your pictures! Can’t wait to try these!
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I’ve never tried macarons but I have seen them in NYC and I also saw them in San Fran. I just never knew what to expect so I wasn’t too quick to try them. But anything you recommend has got to be good!
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Nice work with the macarons! Yours look perfect! I love the flavour of it! Nutella is the best!
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[...] the little French treats and that alone can be a turn off to trying a recipe Dessert for Two made Small Batch French Macarons, a recipe for classic macarons that only makes half dozen cookies. That is the perfect number to [...]
Hi, I just made these. They turned out flatish. I’m not sure why that happened. Was I supposed to add the first 1/4 cup of sugar while whipping the egg white and the rest with the almond meal? They cracked a bit on the top and turned out really soft and the cookie was very delicate on top. The taste was really good though! We smushed them with nutella and ate with a spoon =)
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Christina Reply:
May 12th, 2011 at 11:37 am
Hi there! Thanks for writing!
Was your egg white old or fresh?
To answer your question, the recipe calls for adding the almond meal and ALL of the powdered sugar together in 3 increments, folding them in gently.
If the cookie was soft on top and cracked–did you properly age them before baking? When you put them in the oven, they should be dry on top.
Thanks again!
Christina
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ken Reply:
May 19th, 2011 at 8:47 am
It is how you beat the egg whites to the right stage ie soft peak.
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I’m a lover of all things Nutella! These look amazingly delicious!
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Fantastic photo, Christina! Gotta love anything nutella.
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Your macarons look so delicate and delicious, simply perfect! Plus, hazelnut and chocolate just can’t be beat.
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Oh, Christina, how fancy! I love a good macaron! Great photo, too. The turquoise fiesta plate really makes the white pop (& look super yummy!).
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P.S. I think your blog would make a great cookbook. I hope it becomes one someday!
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[...] CLICK FOR RECIPE: French Macarons w/Nutella [...]
[...] for a macaroon but you don’t want to deal with a whole batch, Dessert for Two has a recipe for French Macarons (with Nutella). If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing [...]
1) These totally need to be made asap. I mean how can you go wrong with nutella MACARONs??
2) Where do you get meringue powder? I’ve never even heard of such thing.
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Wait, last thing – how did these compare to Bouchon’s? Just as good? I think I may be able to get my hands on the original but if these are easier to make then I’m all for it.
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