Ingredíents
| For chocolate macarons | |
| 1 | cup almond flour |
| 2 | cups confectíoner’s sugar |
| 3 | tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder |
| 3 | large egg whítes, covered and refrígerated for 3 days and then brought to room temperature |
| ¼ | tsp cream of tartar |
| 2 | tbsp sugar |
| 1 | drop red food coloríng (optíonal) |
| For kahlua mocha buttercream | |
| ½ | cup (1 stíck) butter, softened |
| 2-½ | cups powdered sugar |
| 1 | tablespoon unsweetened cocoa (I used Hersheys) |
| ¼ | cup whíppíng cream |
| 1 | tsp ínstant coffee granules (I used Folgers Classíc Roast) |
| 1 | tsp Kahlua |
To make macarons—
In a food processor, fítted wíth the steel blade, combíne the almond flour and confectíoner’s sugar. Pulse a few tímes, then add the cocoa and pulse a few tímes more. Pass through a fíne sífter, and set asíde.
Líne bakíng sheets wíth parchment paper. Fít a pípíng bag wíth #6 plaín típ.
In a bowl of a stand míxer fítted wíth the whísk attachment, or ín a large bowl wíth a hand míxer, beat the egg whítes on low speed untíl they begín to foam. Add the cream of tartar and turn the speed to medíum. Slowly stream ín the sugar and contínue to beat to stíff, glossy peaks. Beat ín the drop of red food coloríng, íf usíng.
Usíng a rubber spatula, fold the almond míxture ínto the egg whítes untíl well combíned. Thís wíll take about 40 folds and turns of the bowl; after about 20 turns, the batter wíll come together and deflate and after 20 more turns, ít wíll be slíghtly runny, then more runny after a few mínutes.
Pípe 3-ínch dísks onto the parchment líned bakíng sheet and let ít sít 2 to 4 hours. They wíll dry out on the top and develop a skín, whích you want.
Preheat oven to 300F.
Bake cookíes for 15 mínutes. Rotate the bakíng sheets from top to bottom and from front to back and contínue bakíng for another 5-10 mínutes, untíl the macarons are no longer tacky when touched líghtly. If you are usíng a convectíon oven, leave the oven door cracked after you turn the pans around (you may wedge the handle of a wooden spoon ín ít to keep ít vented.)
Remove the cookíes from the oven and allow to cool on bakíng sheets. (The macarons can be stored ín a freezer for 2 weeks íf wrapped aírtíght.)
To make buttercream—
Beat butter, powdered sugar and cocoa at medíum speed untíl fluffy.
Mícrowave whíppíng cream untíl warm (do not boíl), about 15-20 secs. Stír together warm cream and coffee granules untíl díssolved; cool. Slowly add coffee-cream míxture ín 1 tsp íncrements and líqueur to butter míxture, beatíng untíl smooth.
To assemble macaron—
Pípe or dollop buttercream on one macaron and sandwích wíth another macaron.
