Chocolate macaroons recipe

Chocolate macaroons are the perfect sweet treat for a special occasion. They’re a great alternative to richer deserts because they’re so light, and they also look beautiful on the table and add sophistication to any celebration. This chocolate alternative to the classic macaroons recipe only requires five ingredients and it’s also very quick to make, which is great if you’re short on time.

Not only will guests feast on their delightful appearance, they will also love the delicious chocolate filling – especially the kids! For the filling you’ll only need hazelnut chocolate spread, so it’s quite a simple way to impress visitors with your baking skills.

If you make more than you need, then just keep the unfilled macaroons in an airtight container for up to a week. Filled macaroons are best eaten on the day.

Besides being great party food, chocolate macaroons can also make for very thoughtful gifts for friends and family, or anyone you need to get on your good side.

To make your life easier in the kitchen, Woman's Weekly's Cookery Editor, Sue McMahon, shows you how to make these popular chocolate macaroons so you can follow along with her in our simple step-by-step video.

Ingredients

• 175g (6oz) icing sugar
• 2 level tbsp cocoa
• 2 medium egg whites
• 30g (1oz) caster sugar
• 90g (3oz) ground almonds

For the filling

:

• 6-8tbsp hazelnut chocolate spread
• Piping bag fitted with 1cm plain piping tube
• Baking sheet, lined with non-stick liner or baking parchment

Method

1. Sift the icing sugar and cocoa together a couple of times onto a plate, so that they are well mixed.
2. Whisk the egg whites and caster sugar together until stiff then fold in the icing sugar mixture and ground almonds. Fill the piping bag with the mixture and pipe about 36-40 small balls onto the lined baking sheet. Press down any points with a damp finger.
3. Leave the baking sheet in a warm place for a minimum of 30 mins, so that a the skin over the piped balls skins over and they feel dry on the surface when touched with a clean dry finger.
4. Set the oven to cool 150°C or gas mark 2.
5. Bake the macaroons in the centre of the oven for 10-15 mins until they have just set. Remove the macaroons from the oven and leave them to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Sandwich 2 macaroons together with some of the hazelnut chocolate spread.