Chocolate Mint Macarons Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Place the almond paste and sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until the almond paste is softened and the sugar well incorporated, about 5 minutes. Add the cocoa powder and blend just until combined.
• Add the egg whites a little bit at a time, incorporating fully after each addition. Egg whites are difficult to pour in small amounts, so hold a rubber spatula against the rim of the bowl and use it to "cut" the egg whites as they are poured. If you add the egg whites all at once, the mixture will be lumpy because the difference in consistency between the egg whites and the almond paste mixture is too great. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. You may or may not need all of the egg whites depending on the moistness and age of your almond paste. Stop mixing when the mixture reaches a consistency soft enough to pipe (like toothpaste).
• Place the batter in a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip. Pipe 1-inch mounds onto a parchment paper-covered baking sheet. It will be easier if you hold the pastry bag at a slight angle and allow the tip to touch the parchment as you start to pipe. Once you have formed the mound, stop squeezing and lift the tip straight up, leaving a small tail on the top of each mound. Space the macarons about 1-inch apart to allow for spreading. Pipe carefully: Your macarons will look nicest when they are sandwiched together if they are all the same size.
• Immediately before placing them in the oven, liberally sprinkle granulated sugar over the macarons. This will give them a nice crust that will keep the inside moist and chewy. Bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. The top of each macaron should be very finely cracked, a characteristic for which they are known. If overbaked, the macarons will be dry and crunchy.
• Remove the baking sheet from the oven and immediately pour 1/4 cup of water onto the baking sheet under the parchment paper. Be careful: If you get any water on the macarons, they will be soggy. You will need to tilt the baking sheet to spread the water evenly. Let it sit for 2 minutes. The water will loosen the macarons from the paper. Remove the macarons from the paper 2 at a time and stick them together, matching the flat sides. Do not put them back on the hot, wet baking sheet or they will become soggy.
• The macarons can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or well wrapped in the freezer for up to 1 week. Unwrap them before bringing back to room temperature, or the condensation will make them soggy.

Steps:

• Make the ganache filling: In a medium bowl, combine the chocolate chips and heavy cream. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between, until melted and smooth, about 1 minute total. Set aside to cool for at least 1 hour.
• Make the macarons: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the powdered sugar, almond flour, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Process on low speed until very finely ground. Sift the almond flour mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. Set aside.
• In a separate large bowl, beat the egg whites and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt with an electric hand mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add the granulated sugar until fully incorporated. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form (you should be able to turn the bowl upside down without anything falling out).
• Add about ⅓ of the sifted almond flour mixture at a time to the beaten egg whites and use a rubber spatula to gently fold until combined. After the last addition of almond flour, add the peppermint extract. Continue to fold slowly until the batter falls into ribbons and you can make a figure 8 while holding the spatula up.
• Set a piping bag or zip-top bag fitted with a round tip in a tall drinking glass. Dip a skewer or toothpick in the red gel food coloring and paint 2 stripes on opposite sides of the inside of the piping bag. Transfer the macaron batter to the bag.
• Pipe 4 small dollops of batter in each corner of a rimmed baking sheet, then lay a piece of parchment paper over it, using the batter to help adhere the parchment to the baking sheet.
• Pipe the macarons onto the parchment paper in 2-inch (5-cm) circles, spacing at least 1-inch (2.5-cm) apart.
• Tap the baking sheet on a flat surface 5 times to release any air bubbles. If there are any points on the top of the macarons, let sit for 5 minutes after tapping the pan, then, with a slightly moistened finger, lightly pat down the peaks.
• Let the macarons sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes, until dry to the touch.
• Preheat the oven to 300˚F (150˚C).
• Bake the macarons for 20 minutes, until the feet are well risen and the macarons don't stick to the parchment paper. Transfer the macarons to a wire rack to cool completely before filling.
• Transfer the cooled ganache to a piping bag or zip-top bag fitted with a round tip.
• Pipe a dollop of ganache onto a macaron shell. Top with another macaron shell to create a sandwich. Repeat with remaining macarons and ganache.
• Roll the edges of the macarons in the crushed candy canes.
• If desired, place the macarons in an airtight container for 24 hours to "bloom" before serving, or serve immediately.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or foil; lightly coat with cooking spray (if using nonstick pans or liners, do not use cooking spray).
• In large bowl, toss coconut with sugar until evenly coated. In a pan melt the chocolate; let cool slightly. In small bowl, combine egg whites, chocolate, vanilla and salt until blended. Add to coconut mixture; blend well with spatula.
• On prepared baking sheet, form heaping table-spoonfuls of mixture into 15 mounds, 2 inches apart. Bake 15 minutes or until bottoms are golden and tops start to brown (centers will be slightly soft). Let cool 10 minutes on baking sheet; remove with spatula to wire rack; let cool completely on rack. Best served the same day, but can be stored overnight in airtight container.