I know it’s been a long time since I left you macarons recipe on the blog, apart from two posts (first and second) in which I tell you how to make perfect macarons. There are so many wonderful things to do and try, that many times we leave aside other things that we love. In fact, very few recipes I let you repeat them again because I’m always trying new things. But today we’re back to one of those long ago preparations and I’ll leave you these Orange and ginger macarons with chocolate Cointreau ganache.
I must admit that I’ve been around 3 years without making macarons, so to speak it seems too much! But from what I tell you above, many times it is lack of time and not lack of desire. It’s a good thing that the moment always comes when we decide to make them again and we can enjoy them.
The recipe that I leave you today in one of the ones I had in my online macarons workshop and, despite being very simple in terms of preparation, is one of my favorite in flavor. The truth is that this along with two others that I will leave you later, are undoubtedly the most liked.
To prepare them we need to prepare two basic recipes of macarons, one for the orange coquilles and another for the white ones, besides a filling that surely you have prepared in many occasions. A chocolate ganache.
What’s a ganache?
The origin of ganache is somewhat uncertain. On the one hand, it is said to have emerged in Switzerland in 1850 as a basis for making truffles, and on the other hand, it is said to have been invented in Paris in “Siraudin” pastry shop. This elaboration also has an anecdotal history that surrounds it.
Apparently the ganache was the result of the mistake of an apprentice pastry chef.
The young man was working in the workshop when, by mistake, he poured hot cream on chocolate. His master gave him the treatment of “ganache”, a French word in disuse that meant foolish or incompetent. They decided to take advantage of it and the result they obtained was a complete success. That’s how this new elaboration arose that kept the name of that “insult”.
A ganache is a preparation based on cream or crème fraîche and chocolate in equal parts generally, but not always.
To carry out this preparation we must pour hot cream on the chocolate, previously chopped, let rest for a few minutes and incorporate one with another to obtain a smooth and homogeneous mixture.
To ensure that the chocolate keeps all its properties and does not spoil, this is the process we must follow and not the other way around. That is, melt the chocolate and incorporate the cream.
This preparation is widely used in confectionery for coverings, fillings and decorations. Depending on the use we are going to give, we will vary the proportions of these ingredients.
It is more common the use of dark chocolate in ganaches, although we can also find white chocolate preparations that can also be flavored with liquors or spices.
The purity of the chocolate is very important for the elaboration of a good ganache.
How can we know that the chocolate we use is pure?
For the composition of its ingredients.
A good chocolate must be made with cocoa paste, cocoa butter, sugar and lecithin. It can be flavored with vanilla or spices but should never have vegetable oils such as coconut or corn. They usually replace cocoa butter with these oils, this makes our chocolate lose that natural purity.
It is not easy to find such pure chocolates, especially in supermarkets. To do this we must buy it in specialty stores, in addition to taking into account that their prices are higher. But they are certainly worth it. Some of the best quality chocolate are Valrhona, Callebaut, Barry…
In some recipes of ganache, it is also common to find among its ingredients a small amount of butter. This favors its texture making it softer and creamier.
Depending on the purpose of the ganache, we will work with different proportions.
- If we want to elaborate a ganache for filling we will use 1 part of cream for a part of chocolate.
- If we want to elaborate a ganache for truffles we will use 1 part of cream for 2 parts of chocolate.
- To cover or glaze we will use 1 part cream to 3 parts chocolate.
All this is broadly speaking, there are more detailed and specific elaborations that consist of more ingredients such as liqueurs or gelatines.
Taking into account the percentage of cocoa, the proportions would be as follows:
- Dark chocolate 70% cocoa, we will need 100 g + 150 g cream
- Dark chocolate with 60% cocoa, we will need 135 g + 150 g cream
- Milk chocolate with 40% cocoa, we will need 225 g + 150 g cream
- White chocolate* 35% cocoa, we need 300 g + 150 g cream
* If we use crème fraîche the proportions vary due to its high fat content. That would be 100 g of white chocolate + 100 g of crème fraîche.
Ingredients
FOR MACARONS:- Two basic macarons recipes (one for orange macarons and one for ginger macarons). Link recipe.
- Sugarflair Peach colour paste dye + a couple of drops of orange extract
- 1 1/2 Tbsps ginger powder approximately (you can taste the batter and add more if you wish)
- 75 g ground almond
- 75 g icing sugar
- 28 g+28 g egg whites
- 19 g water
- 75 g sugar
- paste food coloring
- aroma or extract
FOR CHOCOLATE COINTREAU GANACHE:
- 100 g 70% black chocolate
- 150 g heavy cream
- one orange zest
- 1 Tbsp Cointreau
- candied ginger
Instructions
Make macarons.
- Prepare the macarons following the basic macarons recipe that you can find in this link.
- Once they are baked and cold, store them in an airtight container and refrigerate for 24 hours without the filling.
Make ganache.
- Chop the chocolate, set aside.
- Pour the cream into a heat-resistant bowl and place in a water-bath. Leave until it acquires temperature but without reaching boiling point. Remove from the heat.
- Add the chocolate and let stand for a few minutes.Mix until completely homogenized.
- Wash, dry and grate the orange over the chocolate, mix with the help of a whisk. Add the Cointreau and mix again.
- Pour the ganache into an airtight container and let it cool down to room temperature. It will take about 2 hours.
- Refrigerate for 6 hours or until the next day.
Fill macarons.
- Remember that we will alternate the colors of the macarons. Unite an orange shell with a white ginger one.
- Put the ganache in a piping bag and pipe the ganache on one of the shells of the macarons trying not to be short of filling, but not to exceed.
- Place a small piece of confit ginger in the centre and press lightly.
- Pipe a small amount of ganache on top of the ginger macaron (this way we make sure that both shells of macarons join well) and cover with another shell of macaron.
- Remember that if we let them rest overnight in an airtight container in the refrigerator, they will be better because their taste will have matured.
Notes
- Don't forget to review the two posts to make perfect macarons. In the first one I talk about origin, ingredients and macaronage. In the second one I detail the recipe and process to elaborate the macarons together with some tips.
- You can vary the colors and flavors of the coquilles to your taste.
- If you don't have Cointreau, you can use another type of liqueur that combines with the rest of the flavors.
- The macarons filled with ganache are kept in perfect condition for 5-6 days, always refrigerated.
