Chocolate Macarons

This is my 2nd try of macaron...Did a batch last year, it was a total disaster, sadly tuck my recipe under my bed, trying to sleep over it...Then Shan pose me a challenge just last week, should I do it, but the fear of failure keeps ringing my mind...is the time & effort worth the try? But then, I "zhuo bo" at home, & thank God I try & still quite ok. It was sweet & it taste better after a day old. Chill the leftovers.

Macaron Batter

100g of icing sugar
50g of powdered almond
25g of unsweeten coco powder
2 egg whites at room temperature
65g of sugar

Cream Cheese Filling

50g of cream cheese
2 tbsp of icing sugar


Method

• Preheat oven to 170 or 180 degrees C ( Depends on each individual oven )
• Line 2 baking trays with silicone mat ( you can use greaseproof or parchment paper if you do not own silicone mat, but beware, the macarons tend to stick to the paper, have to remove it slowly & gently )
• Prepare a piping/ pastry bag with a plain tip of 2cm
• Grind the icing sugar, almond powder and coco powder so that there is no lumps, sieve the mixed powder
• Use the electric mixer and beat egg whites till they begin to rise and hold shape, add in sugar while whipping until the egg whites are stiff and firm, around 2 mins
• Fold in dry ingredient at one go into the egg whites with a rubber spatula, when mixture is fully incorporated with no streaks of egg whites
• Scrape the batter into the pastry bag
• Pipe the batter onto the silicone mat in 3cm circles, evenly spaced 3 cm apart
• Let them sit in the room temperature, they will develop a "skin", touch the piped batter with your fingers to make sure they are not tacky
• Bake them for 15 mins. Let them cool completely then remove from silicone mat
• Pair the matching shells together, pipe the whipped cream cheese in the middle of the shell, sandwich 2 shells together. Done:)) Enjoy!

Note: The above photo is bake at 180 degrees C for 15 mins. If you want a lighter shade of brown, perhaps can bake at 170 degrees C for 15 mins.


To make cream cheese

• Whip cream cheese and icing with a whisk till soft