Dubai Chocolate Macarons
I’ve been making macarons for years now, but I do remember the start being quite terrifying as everything I read online about macarons painted them in the image of a very difficult dessert to make. And they do are difficult, but in the meantime I found desserts that I feel are much more difficult to make, especially perfect eclairs. I find macarons to be quite easy to make in terms of batter, but very difficult to bake – I think the oven plays a huge role in this and one’s patience to find the best oven settings, temperature and time as well. But let’s see how to make these Dubai chocolate macarons, inspired by the famous Dubai chocolate.
These Dubai chocolate macarons contain the macarons shell, a very creamy and luscious milk chocolate ganache and a crunchy pistachio kataif filling. The elements of this dessert are quite simple, but it is putting them together that makes everything shine. The crunchy shells, combined with the moist interior are a match made in heaven in any macarons, but even more so in these, as the crunchy filling brings everything to a while new level of excitement for the taste buds.
The macarons shells are made following the Italian meringue method and the recipe itself is by the master of macarons, Pierre Herme. It is a recipe that I have made quite a few times during my pastry chef life, one that I trust, even though the Italian meringue is a bit more difficult to make. But it is also the most stable type of meringue and this is why I recommend this recipe even for beginners. The dough itself is allowing even a beginner to work with it while the shells are crunchy and firm on the outside and slightly chewy on the inside (prior to filling that is).
The filling is one of my favorite ganaches, a very creamy, silky milk chocolate ganache that can easily be flavored differently. Imagine adding a bit of instant coffee into it. Or perhaps 1/2 of tonka bean, grated in the cream. It would be equally delicious if you add a touch of orange zest or some gingerbread spices.
The crunchy Dubai chocolate center can also be replaced with your favorite jam or a different crunchy center, but it can also be skipped altogether. Either way, the final macarons will be delicious, soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside.
Ingredients for Dubai Chocolate Macarons
Almond flour – I use a very fine almond flour and I sift it twice through a fine sieve before using it. It is also important to buy an almond flour that is not too oily. If it feels moist and it sticks together in big lumps, it is quite greasy. You can try to dry it in the oven for a while, but from my experience, the texture will not improve that much.
Icing sugar – just as the almond flour, the icing sugar must be fine. I mix it with the almond flour and sift it again so it’s completely mixed with the flour.
Egg whites – I have made macarons with both fresh and aged egg whites and I always got beautiful results. That being said, I like to notice the texture of the egg whites – if they are very watery, I add a bit of egg white powder into the mix, just to strengthen the protein in the meringue and power up its stability.
Food coloring – the best food coloring to use in macarons is in powder form, water soluble. It does not matter the brand that much as long, I used various brands over time and always got beautiful colors. That being said, keep in mind that food coloring is a chemical compound and should be used with restrictions or in limited quantity. This is the reason why I stay away from bright, deep colors, like Christmas red, deep green or black. There is no such thing as miraculous coloring that yields deep colors with just a drop of coloring. Deep, vibrant colors are always created with plenty of food coloring. For this reason, I prefer pastel colors, softer shaded of green, yellow, pink or blue. In the end, the taste is the most important!
Dubai Chocolate Macarons
Ingredients
Macaron Shells
- 150 g almond flour
- 150 g icing sugar
- 55 g egg white A
- 55 g egg white B
- 150 g granulated white sugar
- 37 g water
- Water soluble green powder food coloring
Milk Chocolate Ganache
- 100 g dark chocolate 54%
- 100 g white chocolate
- 5 g cocoa butter
- 230 g whipping cream
- 10 g liquid glucose
- 5 g vanilla extract
Dubai Pistachio Filling
- 40 g pistachio paste
- 60 g pistachio praline
- 8 g tahini paste
- 20 g white chocolate
- 0.2 g salt
- 30 g chopped pistachios (granules)
- 45 g shredded kataifi
- 10 g butter
Instructions
Macaron Shells
- Sift the almond flour and icing sugar. Set aside.
- Mix the egg white A with the almond flour mix until you get a paste. Do not overmix. Keep covered with plastic wrap to prevent the top from drying.
- Combine the granulated white sugar with water in a saucepan and place over heat.
- Meanwhile, whisk egg white B until foamy. When the sugar syrup reaches 119°C, slowly pour it in a thin stream over the egg white while continuously mixing. Whisk until you obtain a glossy and firm meringue. Add the food coloring and mix well.
- Incorporate 1 tablespoon of the meringue into the paste, then fold in the rest of the meringue. Mix gently until you achieve a batter that is thick but flows off the spoon or spatula in a ribbon.
- Transfer the batter into a piping bag fitted with an 8-9mm round tip, then pipe the macaron shells onto a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- Tap the tray gently on the work surface to release any air bubbles, then let the macarons dry at room temperature for 10-30 minutes, depending on the room’s temperature and humidity. You’ll know they are ready to bake when the surface has formed a crust that doesn’t stick or break when touched.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 130°C with fan on for 15-20 minutes.
- Once done, remove from the oven and let cool on the tray.
Chocolate Ganache
- Combine the chocolates and cocoa butter in a tall container or jug.
- In a saucepan, mix the whipping cream, glucose, and vanilla, and bring to just below boiling point.
- Pour over the chocolates and blend with an immersion blender until smooth.
- Cover with cling film in direct contact with the surface and refrigerate for 4-6 hours.
Dubai Pistachio Filling
- Melt the butter in a pan. Add the kataifi and toast over medium heat, stirring often, until golden brown.
- Set aside to cool.
- Mix the pistachio paste with the pistachio praline.
- Incorporate the tahini paste and white chocolate.
- Add the salt and chopped pistachios, then fold in the golden kataifi.
- Use immediately to fill the center of the macarons.
Assembly
- Pair the macaron shells in matching sizes.
- Place the ganache in a piping bag fitted with an 8-9mm tip and pipe ganache onto one side of the shells.
- Add 1 teaspoon of Dubai filling in the center.
- Top with the second macaron shell and press gently.
- Arrange all the macarons on a tray and cover with cling film.
- Refrigerate for at least 24 hours to mature.
Equipment
- Mixer
- Oven
- Baking trays
- Food thermometer
- Kitchen scale
- Baking paper
- 8mm piping nozzle (round)
- Piping bags
- Fridge
- Hand blender (Bamix)
- Spatulas
- Bowls
- Macaron silicone mat
