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Has this ever happened to you? You finish baking your macaron shells only to have no idea what filling to pipe inside.
Or maybe you've been browsing Pinterest for hours looking for the perfect macaron filling recipe.
If this sounds like you, then I can help!
Why You'll Love These Recipes
Ganache is a chocolate based filling that offers a rich flavor profile for macarons. What's great about ganache is that it can be layered with a center filling of jam, curd, marmalade, or compote.
Here are a few reasons you'll love using ganache in your macarons:
- It's creamy and has a rich and delicious flavor.
- Ganache is simple to make (under 10 minutes of active time in the kitchen).
- You can easily switch up the flavor by using different flavors of chocolate or mix-ins.
- It can be made with regular store-bought chocolate chips or high-quality chocolate. It's completely up to your budget!
How To Make Ganache Filling
1. Melt Chocolate In Heavy Cream
Place the semi-sweet chocolate morsels in a heat-safe bowl.
Next, heat the heavy cream by microwaving it at 100% (high) power for 45 - 60 seconds. The cream should be steaming when you remove it from the microwave.
Immediately after the cream has been heated, pour it over the chocolate and double-check that all of the chocolate is submerged under the cream.
Allow the chocolate and cream to sit for 3 minutes without stirring.
2. Flavor & Thicken
Now that the hot cream has had a chance to melt the chocolate, it's time to add in some additional flavor enhancers including vanilla extract and fine sea salt.
Additionally, it's important to add butter to this recipe. The butter helps firm up the ganache in order to make it a pipeable consistency.
Without the butter, the ganache would be too runny.
3. Mix Everything Together
Give all of the ingredients a stir using a silicone spatula. You're looking for a consistency that's smooth with all of the ingredients fully blended together.
You'll have to stir for about 60 - 90 seconds before everything combines. If after this time you still notice some small bits of butter or chocolate, you may need to pop the bowl back in the microwave and heat it for an additional 10 - 15 seconds.
Continue this process until you've achieved the desired consistency.
4. Allow Ganache To Firm
Next, the chocolate ganache needs to firm up in the refrigerator in order to harden to a pipeable consistency.
Pop the bowl straight into the fridge. Cool the mixture until it's slightly hardened and you can scoop the mixture with a spoon. This usually takes about 45 minutes.
5. Place In Piping Bag
Once the ganache has firmed up, you can transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a ½ inch round piping tip.
Push part of the side of the piping bag into the piping tip to ensure nothing leaks out.
Then, set the bag inside a tall glass, and pull the remaining top of the piping bag out over the outside of the glass to make scooping the ganache easy and clean.
6. Pipe Onto Macarons
Finally, match up macaron cookies so they are paired with a similar size/shaped cookie. Pipe about ½ tablespoon of ganache on one side of the macaron shell, then place the matching macaron shell on top of the ganache.
You'll then want to mature the macarons for 24 hours in an airtight container in the fridge. This allows the shell to soften and the ganache flavor to marry with the macaron shells.
Helpful Tips & Tricks
- Try using an immersion blender instead of a whisk to achieve an extra silky smooth ganache.
- Allowing the ganache to cool in a shallow, flat container keeps it more pliable straight out of the refrigerator.
- Opt for a higher quality chocolate if you wish to elevate the ganache recipes. I love using Guittard or Callebaut branded chocolate.
- If the ganache is too warm when serving the macarons, the filling will push out the sides of the shell when you bite into it. Serve the macarons shortly after pulling them out of the refrigerator from maturing, once they reach room temperature.
- I prefer to pipe 1 teaspoon (about 5 - 7 grams) of ganache filling sandwiched between two macaron shells.
How To Store Ganache Macarons
Macarons filled with chocolate ganache will last up to 7 days when stored in the refrigerator and up to 1 month when stored in the freezer.
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