Chocolate Peanut Butter Macarons
I’m sorry, but yes, this is another post about macarons. And yes, I have made three batches of macarons in three weeks (links to these are at the bottom of this post). While this third batch wasn’t a huge improvement over my other batches – still had wrinkly tops and imperfect feet – it was definitely the yummiest batch.
They are two of my favorite flavors – chocolate and peanut butter. The macaron shells are made with half almonds and half peanuts and the recipe is from, who else, Tartelette. They are filled with salted peanut butter filling, which is a recipe from Canelle et Vanille, and a simple milk chocolate ganache. We’re talking Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup macarons here, and they are fabulous!
So, what can I note from this third venture into the world of macarons? Well… firstly, my egg whites were aging in the refrigerator for 4 days, and I set them out on the counter 24 hours before I was going to use them.
Secondly, I used almond meal instead of whole almonds. I measured out the correct amount called for in the recipe (in this case, 55 grams), and just mixed it in with the other dry ingredients in the food processor. It worked fine, so I’ll be using almond meal instead from now on, since it’ll last longer than a bag of whole almonds!
Thirdly, I read on another blog, I forget where now, that this person added the almond mixture to the egg white mixture in batches, rather than all at once. So I tried this, in three batches, while still keeping under the “no more than than 50 strokes” rule.
Fourthly, I let my first batch (I had enough batter for 3 batches) set out for 30 minutes. I baked the shells about 15 degrees lower than the recipe recommended. They grew feet, but they wrinkled on top, as with my previous batches from the previous weeks. Here is what they looked like:
On my second batch, I didn’t let the shells sit out at all, as I read that some people don’t let the shells sit out, but put them straight into the oven. I baked them at the same temperature as the previous batch and for the same length of time, about 18 minutes. This is how they ended up:
Ew, not pretty! Luckily still yummy, though.
Other than those things, I didn’t do anything else differently than before.
I can tell you that these are so delicious and I highly recommend them if you like chocolate and peanut butter together. I would also like to note that when you read on other blogs that macarons taste better on the next day, or even the second day, they’re right. These macarons did indeed taste better the longer they sat in the refrigerator, and I recommend that you keep that in mind when you make them.
So tell me, are you an experienced macaron-baker? Or have you never baked them before? Have you tried and failed? What are your favorite macaron flavor combinations?
If my three macaron posts in three weeks have inspired you to try baking macarons for the first time, let me know, I’d love to hear about your first experience!
My previous macaron attempts:
- Coffee macarons with Nutella ganache filling
- Matcha macarons with white chocolate filling
- And come back later, because I’m sure there will be more!
I’m STILL too nervous to try, even after seeing your success!
I totally understand, but I’m totally serious when I say that the actual process is really easy, it’s just the technique that needs the practice. If you’ve really got an itch to make them, like I did (and still have!), then you should just go for it so you’ll know what it’s like to make them. Even if you fail, I’m sure they’ll taste very yummy!
I’ve made them three times now and I’m still learning how to make them!
Hi!
I’m not a macaron maker due to my almond allergies but the trick I use for nice domed cupcakes is to put the oven about 10 degrees higher than you want it, to preheat. Put your trays in once ready. Let the temp get back up then turn it to the right temperature. Wrinkly tops generally means the oven wasn’t quite hot enough to begin with.
Again this is cake wise theory! Good luck!
Thanks, it may work for cakes, and I have tried that with my cupcakes for domed tops (I find it works best for thicker batter), but who knows if it’ll work for macarons. I’ll give it a try next time!
I fell in love with macarons in Paris and in my quest to make the perfect macaron I came across this excellent website:
http://www.syrupandtang.com/200712/la-macaronicite-1-an-introduction-to-the-macaron/
Not oly does it give step-by-step instructions but also troubleshoots (based on what your final product looks like) what went wrong!
Flavours I have made:
Chocolate and peanut butter
Green tea and dark chocolate
Raspberry white chocolate and rose
Coconut and lime
Passionfruit and elderflower
Lemon and lime
Orange blossom
Rose
Peppermint
Thanks for the link, I love reading all about macarons! You have quite an impressive list of flavors, they all sound delicious!
Its too bad that they didn’t turn out as hoped, but at least they still tasted good! These look great, and if I were to make a macaron I think this would be it!
Love the flavor combination! I still haven’t tried my hand at this, and I think yours look gorgeous.
I absolutely love peanut butter and chocolate; what a great idea for a flavor combination! Your macarons look delicious and are beautiful, even if they’re not 100% perfect! I would like to make them, but haven’t had time/courage yet. Just today I was reading on Dorie Greenspan’s blog about macarons. Here is a link to an article she wrote for the Los Angeles Times, with practical tips and some recipes included:
http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-macaron-20100401,0,6611000.story
She is such a great baker, and I find her instructions in recipes so helpful. You may not find anything useful, though, since you have already done so much researching on the subject.
I’m just getting into Dorie Greenspan so it’s great to read her article about macarons, thanks for sharing!
They look okay by me and I know the taste would blow me away. I need to try this flavor combination FOR SURE!
Macarons seem like they are so much work to make! I’m scared to even give them a try. There’s a French bakery near my house that sells them for $0.95. That’s the easiest way for me to enjoy them. BUT I do love chocolate and peanut butter together. Maybe one day I’ll be brave.
Wow, 95 cents! I bought 2 for $2.00 each a few months ago at a cupcake shop!
I had a pretty darn good first (and only – so far) macaron baking experience! You can see my picture-detailed attempt on my site (look under macaron listing in index at right)
It’s been fun reading about all of your endeavors!! Love your site 
Rosewater and pistachio! or Ginger macaron with lime filling. DARK dark chocolate with chai spice ganache. All delish
Do you have a trick for getting them off the parchment once they are done? That seems to be one of my (many) problems when I have tried macaroons. Like you, though, I love them and hope that one day I will be able to achieve perfect feet!
I hope this can help you – I have read on a number of blogs that the trick to getting the shells off the parchment paper is to put a little bit of warm water under the parchment paper and let them sit for a couple minutes, but not long or it’ll turn the shells soggy. Apparently the shells should come right off the paper. Another blogger recommends letting the shells sit on the paper up to 8 hours before attempting to take them off the paper – apparently the longer they sit, the easier it is to take them off. For me, I’ve been doing just fine with peeling them off the paper when they have cooled.
I had a pretty darn good first (and only – so far) macaron baking experience! You can see my picture-detailed attempt on my site (look under macaron listing in index at right)
It’s been fun reading about all of your endeavors!! Love your site 
I haven’t tried them since we did it! (been slacking!) Looks like you are getting better! I am proud! LOL.
Your macarons look amaizing! wish I had better luck at it.
I just baked my macarons for the very first time and it was a total disaster. My macarons have frilly feet which extend sideways from the shell..! I dont know what went wrong but my guess would be my oven temp. I cant seem to get it right. Should I bake it at 135C or higher? Any suggestions?
p.s: I love reading your site:)
I still have problems with my macarons – especially with the tops wrinkling. I think it may be due to the oven temperature being too high. I really have no certain information to give you as I am not very experienced with making macarons! I thought that the next time I made them I would make the oven temperature LOWER. I’ve had mine down to 130C, I believe. But some people bake macarons with a wooden spoon stuck in the door of the oven to keep the oven temp even lower. I’ve also read that doing this can possibly prevent hollow macarons. So next time I’ll be using the wooden spoon in the oven door trick to see if that helps at all! If you try it too, let me know how it goes!