Black Currant Macarons (Printable)

Delicate almond meringue shells filled with tangy blackcurrant ganache, a refined French confection perfect for special occasions.

# What You Need:

→ Macaron Shells

01 - 4 large egg whites, aged 24-48 hours (approximately 4.2 oz)
02 - 3.5 oz granulated sugar
03 - 7 oz powdered sugar
04 - 4.2 oz finely ground almond flour
05 - Pinch of salt
06 - Gel purple or blackcurrant food coloring, optional

→ Blackcurrant Ganache

07 - 3.5 oz blackcurrant purée, strained of seeds
08 - 4.2 oz white chocolate, finely chopped
09 - 1 oz unsalted butter, softened
10 - 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

# How-To:

01 - Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone macaron mats.
02 - In a food processor, pulse almond flour and powdered sugar together until well combined and fine. Sift into a large bowl to remove any lumps.
03 - In a clean, grease-free bowl, beat egg whites and salt on medium speed until foamy. Gradually add granulated sugar and continue beating until stiff, glossy peaks form.
04 - Add food coloring to the meringue and mix until evenly tinted.
05 - Gently fold the dry almond mixture into the meringue in three additions using a spatula. Fold until the batter flows in thick ribbons and a figure-8 can be drawn without breaking. Avoid overmixing.
06 - Transfer batter to a piping bag fitted with a 1 cm round tip. Pipe small circles approximately 1.4 inches in diameter onto prepared baking sheets, spacing slightly apart.
07 - Tap the trays firmly on the counter to release air bubbles. Pop any remaining bubbles with a toothpick.
08 - Let the shells rest at room temperature for 30-45 minutes until a slight skin forms and shells are no longer tacky to the touch.
09 - Preheat the oven to 300°F.
10 - Bake one tray at a time for 13-15 minutes, rotating halfway through, until shells are set and can be gently lifted off the parchment. Cool completely before removing from trays.
11 - Place chopped white chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
12 - In a small saucepan, heat blackcurrant purée until just simmering.
13 - Pour hot purée over chocolate and let sit for 1 minute. Stir gently until smooth and melted. Stir in butter and lemon juice until fully incorporated. Let cool until thickened but still pipeable.
14 - Pair up cooled macaron shells by size. Pipe a small amount of blackcurrant ganache onto one shell of each pair and sandwich gently with the second shell.
15 - Place assembled macarons in an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 24 hours to allow flavors to mature. Bring to room temperature before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • These look impossibly fancy but the technique becomes almost meditative once you understand the rhythm.
  • That blackcurrant-white chocolate balance feels like you're eating something from a Parisian pâtisserie, except you made it yourself.
  • Once you nail the shells, you'll find yourself making different fillings just to keep practicing.
02 -
  • Overmixing the batter is the most common culprit in macaron failure—it turns from batter to soup in seconds, so stop folding as soon as you can draw that figure-8.
  • Humidity is your enemy; if it's too wet outside, macarons struggle to form proper feet and shells crack unpredictably—choose a dry day if possible.
03 -
  • Keep a notebook of your results—record humidity, resting time, oven temperature adjustments—because every kitchen is different, and your notes become your recipe.
  • If shells crack in the oven, it usually means either the meringue was overmixed, the piped size was too large, or the resting period was too short; adjusting even one of these usually solves it.
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