This is one of those very difficult things to make (says the person who does not master dessert cooking yet). I have made this multiple times and failed multiple times (cracked, deflated, … all kinds of issues), and finally this one looks and tastes decent after studying and mixing all online recipes. Here it is! The key is the technique of mixing the batter, extremely delicate and patient is a virtue!
Ingredients
Batter
- 50 g almond flour
- 114 g powdered sugar
- 7 g cocoa powder
- 57g egg whites (two big eggs) aged overnight in the fridge and brought to room temperature (can NOT use pasteurized egg)
- 1/8 teaspoon (1/8 tsp) cream of tartar (this is critical IMHO because it gives structure of the shell)
- 28 g granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon (1/2 tsp) vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
Chocolate Ganache
- 2 ounces heavy cream
- 2.5 ounces chocolate semisweet, milk or dark (I like dark one but it is less sweet)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Batter
- Sift together the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and almond flour, twice if not blended.
- Put the mixture in a food processor, grind 8-10 times to make the almond flour mixture even finer texture and to blend the ingredients together.
- Whip the egg whites on low to frothy consistency and slowly add the sugar in one third of the quantity each time.
- Add the vanilla to the meringue during the soft peak stage. Then continue whipping on medium-high until you get stiff peaks that start gathering and bunching on the inside of the whisk.
- Add 1/3 of almond mixture to the meringue. Fold spatula under the batter and around the edges and then cut through the center until almond flour is mixed in. Continue with the rest of the almond flour and folding until homogenous.
- Gently press the spatula on top of the batter while turning the bowl to take out some of the air from the meringue. Continue folding around the outside edge until the batter forms a ribbon and moves like lava (look at how lava moves! did not get it the first time :D).
- Meringue is ready when it forms a ribbon off the spatula and the batter that settles almost dissolves all the way back into the rest of the batter but still leave a bit of a line.
- Place the parchment paper (or the template) onto the sheet pan. Pipe small rounds about 1″ in diameter. I use a silicone template that I bought.
- Drop the pan onto the table 5-6 times from about 5″ above the table to release bubbles. Use a toothpick to remove big pockets of air trapped under the surface.
- Allow to dry, uncovered until a crust forms on the surface. About 30 minutes – 2 hours or until a dry film develops over the surface of the cookie. Use finger to test, it does not stick and it feels elastic. This step is extremely important as if the shell does not form properly, you get cracks easily.
- Bake at 300ºF for about 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned. If not quite brown baked, bake for an additional 1 minute. Cooled cookies should be pulled away from the parchment paper (or the template) without sticking. If they do stick, they were not baked enough.
- Let cool fully before removing from the parchment (or the template) and filling with ganache. Cookies can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Shells can be frozen for 6 months in an airtight container.
Ganache
Place all the ingredients into a heatproof bowl and microwave for one minute. Let sit for 5 minutes then whisk until smooth. Heat for another 15 seconds if not fully melted. Place into the fridge for 20 minutes then whisk until smooth. The texture should be like peanut butter.
Bin's Blog 