Rich, crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside chocolate macarons filled with caramel and toasted coconut. These Chocolate Macarons have the flavors of a Girl Scout Samoa cookie but they’re fancy enough to serve at your next party.
The Girl Scout Samoa cookie is only available once a year. They’re my favorite packaged cookie. A heavenly combination of cookie, chocolate, caramel and coconut that is irresistible. I incorporated these flavors into a macaron so I can have them any time of year.
How To Make Chocolate Macarons
- It’s important to have the correct ratio of egg white to almond flour when making macarons. If you look at a carton of eggs, the egg size can vary quite a bit in each carton. For that reason, this recipe uses a digital scale to measure the ingredients for the macarons.
- One of the keys to making a great macaron is using finely ground almond flour. If your almond flour has coarse pieces of almonds in it, you can use a food processor (a mini one if you have it) to grind the flour so it’s finer. I’ll often use a mesh strainer to strain out unwanted pieces of almonds.
- You want to whip your egg whites (mixed with the sugar) until they form stiff peaks. To test to see if the egg whites are ready, whip until the tip of the peak doesn’t fold over when you pull the beater out of the (meringue) beaten egg whites.
- Use a spatula to gently fold in the almond flour/cocoa mixture. Add half of the mixture at a time so it’s easier to mix in. Then stop folding when the mixture is a smooth, thick, glossy batter that slowly drips off the spatula back into the bowl when you scoop it up. Don’t over mix or your macarons will flatten and you won’t get the classic macaron foot. To test and see if your batter is mixed to the perfect stage, put a spoonful on a plate. If it slowly flattens out it’s perfect. If it just stays in a blob, give it a few more folds. Here’s a great macaron batter video that shows the proper consistency.
Piping Macarons
Since a macaron is like a sandwich cookie, you pair up a top and a bottom, it’s important that they’re all a similar size. I like to put a macaron template underneath my parchment paper, so it makes it easy to pipe them the same size.
Another tip is to put the piping bag in a tall glass or pitcher. That way you don’t have to hold the bag while you’re filling it. Fold the top of the bag over the top of the glass/small pitcher so it stays open and in place while you fill it. I bought a small pitcher at IKEA that works great. The video in my How To Make Eclairs Post shows you how to use the templates, as well as the pitcher I use.
You’ll use a ½ inch tip to pipe the macarons, an Ateco Size 806 or Wilton 1A. You don’t need to use a coupler, you can just put the tip in the bag. I like to use disposable pastry bags.
Piping the shells is not difficult, but in a pinch, you could use a cookie scoop to portion the batter onto the parchment paper.
I made these amazing chocolate caramel macarons to celebrate Macaron Day, March 20, a few years ago, and they’ve become my favorite macaron. The combination of chocolate, caramel, and coconut is irresistible and everyone loves them and are so impressed with these fancy little treats.
I hope you’ll give my Samoa Chocolate Macarons a try! I’m sure you’ll love them too.
Samoa Macarons
Equipment
Ingredients
Macarons
- 100 grams powdered sugar
- 50 grams almond meal/flour
- 20 grams unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder sifted
- 60 grams egg whites at room temperature
- 40 grams granulated sugar
Coconut Caramel Filling
- ¾ cup shredded sweetened coconut
- 20 chewy caramels unwrapped
- 1 tablespoon milk
- dash of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 310º. Prepare a baking pan by lining it with parchment paper. Prepare a pastry bag by fitting it with a ½-inch plain tip.
- Combine the powdered sugar, cocoa powder and almond meal.
- With an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they’re foamy. Gradually beat in the granulated sugar and continue beating until egg whites form stiff peaks.
- Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg whites in two batches. Stop folding when the mixture is a smooth, thick, glossy batter that slowly drips off the spatula back into the bowl when you scoop it up. Don't over mix.
- Spoon the batter in to the prepared pastry bag. Pipe the batter on to the prepared baking sheet in evenly spaced 1-inch circles (about 1 tablespoon of batter).
- Holding the baking sheet in both hands, tap the baking sheet on the counter a few times to flatten the macarons. Leave out, uncovered for 15 minutes, then bake them for 15-20 minutes. Give the macs a gentle little shake with the tip of your finger to see if they’re done. You want them set but not firm. It’s better to undercook them a little so they are a bit chewy and not crisp.
- Let cool completely then remove from baking sheet.
- Coconut Caramel Filling
- Preheat oven to 300º. Spread coconut evenly on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and toast 10 - 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
- Put the unwrapped caramels, milk and salt in a large microwave-safe bowl and cook on high for 1-2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula.
- Using two teaspoons coated in cooking spray, drop a rounded teaspoon of filling on to a macaron shell and gently sandwich another shell on top..
Nutrition
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Chocolate macarons filled with chocolate and caramel.
lizzy
hi im looking to make a mixed batch of maccarons with different flavours, could you tell me how many maccarons this recipie makes?
Barbara Schieving
H Izzy – it makes 18 macarons. Enjoy!
Kimberly
So I don’t know where I went wrong but my macarons were only in the oven for 11 mins and they were flat and crushed in a bit
Barbara Schieving
Hi Kimberly – typically if your macarons are flat it’s because you’ve overmixed the batter. You have to very gently mix the batter and you can test to see if you’ve mixed it enough by allowing the batter to drip off the spatula into the bowl. Here’s a good video that shows how the batter should be mixed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv9reKJ-uTI
Rocky Mountain Woman
These look amazing! I’ve never tried Macarons, but I think I could do these.
Melissa
This recipe was a success, first try and no adjustments necessary. Delicious!!
Barbara Schieving
That’s awesome – thanks Melissa!
Koreena
I just made these and it’s the first time I’ve had my shells turn out right! Yay! Great recipe!
Barbara Schieving
Great – thanks Koreena!
Donna Kafka
After watching many seasons of the British Bake Off, I was extremely intimidated to try macarons. I made these today and they came out perfect!
Barbara Schieving
Great! Thanks for sharing Donna 🙂
Merianne
I am making the chocolate macarons right now, and the batter is really stiff. I noticed that with another batch of chocolate macarons I made the other day. I feel like I have been mixing it for a really long time and it is not the lava like consistency. Is this normal and should I keep folding, or am I doing something wrong? I’ve made regular macarons a million times so I understand the technique, but there’s just something about the chocolate ones that aren’t quite working.
Barbara Schieving
Hi Merianne – the chocolate ones can be a bit more finicky but should be the same consistency in the end. Here’s a recent video that I thought did a great job of showing the proper consistency. https://www.instagram.com/p/BR63naYDa0x/ Hope they were delicious in the end!
Tsigeyusv
I’m curious why the macaron ingredients are in grams, but the filling is measured in imperial measurements (i.e. 3/4 cups). Do you have that measurement in grams, also?
Karen
Scroll down to March 9,2016. It’s explained there and links to the conversion. Not a great baker here but I do know weighing ingredients gives better results.
Tammy
This recipe calls to microwave “unwrapped” caramels? What?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Tammy – such as Kraft caramels https://www.amazon.com/Kraft-Caramels-11-Ounce-Bags-Pack/dp/B000E1DSL8
BRENDA CUBIAS
HELLO-
I WOULD LOVE TO MAKE YOUR SAMOA MACARONS BUT HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE MEASUREMENTS.I DONT OWN MEASURING CUPS IN GRAMS. ANYWAY YOU CAN PROVIDE ME THE MEASUREMENTS IN CUPS? PLEASE ADVISE. HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOO SOON. MUCH APPREACIATED! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Barbara Schieving
Hi Brenda – the best way to measure is to use a digital scale because it’s much more accurate. If you don’t have a digital scale, here’s a link to the basic recipe in cups http://foodfinery.blogspot.com/2010/03/spring-fling-mac-attack-5.html plus add 1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa. Here’s some more tips http://foodfinery.blogspot.com/2012/06/mac-secrets.html Enjoy!
Trina
I’m still working on my shell technique, but these were amazing. I made them after I put my kids to bed and I might have to eat all of them before they wake up!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Trina! I wouldn’t want to be left alone with all of them either. Dangerous!
Letty Flatt
Oh my. These would be so good I’d eat them all–well maybe 6 or 7–not kidding. Nice feet too 😉