Chocolate and macarons are 'a match made in heaven'. Intense dark chocolate conjures up passion and romance. Delicate macarons speaks to me of vulnerability and tender loving care. Together they complement each other as opposites with a magnetic attraction.
Dark Chocolate Haiku
her eyes, deep and dark
as a sea of chocolate
casts a spell on me
The dark chocolate macaron consist of a vanilla flavored shell and a filling of dark chocolate ganache.
The dark chocolate ganache recipe is adapted from the Bouchon Bakery cookbook. It begins by coarsely chopping dark chocolate which is placed in a heat proof bowl. For this recipe, I used 400 grams of Valrhona Tainori 64% feves.
Heavy cream 340 grams, trimoline 28 grams, and glucose 24 grams is combined and brought to a simmer over medium heat. This is poured over the chocolate and allow to sit for thirty seconds. Slowly stir, beginning in the center, to incorporate the ingredients. The ganache should be shiny and smooth.
High fat butter, 28 grams, is stirred in until smooth and left to sit at room temperature for four hours. The dark chocolate ganache is ready to be piped between the macaron shells.
The dark chocolate ganache looks like a sea of chocolate that someone dropped a pebble into with ripples of luscious goodness flowing to the edge.
The macaron shells were made using the Italian meringue method described in the Bouchon Bakery cookbook and discussed in a previous blog post, macarons for a wedding. They were flavored by adding the seeds of a vanilla bean to the macaronage. Edible gold dust was added for coloring.
Macaron shells were paired and the dark chocolate ganache was piped onto the bottom shell. Edible gold leaf from the Gold Gourmet was applied to the top of the macaron shell.
Dark chocolate macaron sitting on a glass pedestal. The macaron is ready to be admired, savored, and then devoured. This macaron combines delicacy and a luscious indulgence all into one tasty bite.
The Gold Gourmet gold leaf and Valrhona chocolate were sourced from L'Epicure, a specialty food shop in New York.