Hazelnut Coffee Macarons

Hazelnut macaron shells

1. Ground hazelnuts/hazelnut flour: there is much discussion as to whether or not ground nuts, nut flour, and nut meal are the same. The main difference is how finely ground they are. For macarons, we want as finely ground nuts as possible, which usually means nut flour is best. But we blend it again with powdered sugar anyway, so if you can only find a nut meal, then this is fine.
2. Ground almonds/almond flour: We still need to use almond flour in hazelnut macarons to get the right balance of fat.
3. Powdered sugar/icing sugar: Powdered sugar (or confectioners' sugar) is used in the nut paste we make that is then mixed with the Italian meringue.
4. Instant coffee powder: A small pinch of coffee powder in the nutty meringue cookie shells help give even more coffee flavor.
5. Egg whites: Use room-temperature egg whites in macarons or any baking recipe. Take care when separating the eggs so that no yolk gets into the whites, or you will end up with a failed meringue.
6. Light brown fine granulated sugar/golden caster sugar: I like to use fine golden sugar in these hazelnut coffee macarons as the added molasses content gives a slight hint of caramel taste. Alternatively, use fine white sugar (or white caster sugar).
7. Water: When making an Italian meringue, we dissolve sugar into the water before bringing it to a boil and making the hot sugar syrup. It helps the sugar to melt more evenly.

Coffee cream macaron filling

1. Cinnamon: A touch of warm cinnamon spice adds extra depth to the coffee macaron filling.
2. Double cream/heavy cream: The thick coffee cream filling is so delicious. Use high-quality cream with good fat content.
3. Instant coffee powder: Use instant espresso powder for the most concentrated coffee taste.

See the recipe card for full quantities and step-by-step directions.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 145 degrees Celsius / 295 Fahrenheit. Line baking sheets or cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Prepare and weigh out the dry ingredients and wet ingredients, separating the room temperature egg whites from the egg yolks. Take care not to get any egg yolk into the white. 

Wipe the bowls, saucepan, and whisk attachment of a stand mixer or handheld electric whisk with white wine vinegar to remove residual fat.

Making macarons

Make the nut paste by sieving the ground almond and hazelnut and icing sugar to remove any lumps. Then blend the sugar and nut mixture together in a food processor until they are a very fine powder consistency and thoroughly combined but do not overmix, or the nut flours can release too much of their oils. 

Stir in a teaspoon of coffee powder and put the mixture into a large mixing bowl.  

Mix the first lot of egg white with the ground nuts/powdered sugar mixture until it is fully incorporated into a paste. 

Prepare the Italian meringue. Place the water and granulated sugar into a saucepan over medium heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar for 2-3 minutes. Turn up the heat, then stop stirring, and place the sugar thermometer into the mixture. 

Once the temperature reaches 115 degrees Celsius/240 degrees, whisk the other egg whites in a separate large bowl at medium speed until they form soft peaks. You can use a food processor with the whisk attachment or an electric hand whisk. Then very slowly, start to pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the whisked eggs whilst continuing to whisk.

The Italian meringue will turn a smooth, glossy, and opaque white, and stiff peaks will form. Continue to whisk once all of the sugar syrup has been added to bring down the heat until you can touch the sides of the bowl and it feels warm but not hot. 

Macaronage

Mix the Italian meringue into the hazelnut paste in three stages. 

Firmly mix in the first third of the Italian meringue with a metal or wooden spoon to loosen the paste. Fold in the remaining two-thirds one at a time using the softer spoon or spatula, being very gentle with the final third to not overmix the batter and make it too slack. 

The test for the right consistency is to do a couple of figures of 8 with the large silicon spatula in the batter, which takes around 10 seconds to sink in and become reabsorbed. Any more, and it needs 2-3 more turns or mixes.

Pipe the macaron shells. Transfer the macaron batter to a large piping bag, relax it slightly with your hands, and then cut the tip off or use a round tip nozzle.  Pip the macaron shells in circles onto a the cookie sheet, leaving a 2cm gap in between each macaron. 

Pick up the tray and firmly smack it down onto a work surface twice to settle the Italian macaron batter and help pop remaining air bubbles. 

Baking hazelnut coffee macarons

Bake the hazelnut coffee macarons in the preheated oven straight away for 17 minutes, then remove them from the oven and allow them to cool on the tray; then you can transfer to a wire rack if needed. 

Filling macarons

Make the macaron filling. Stir a tablespoon of water into the ground coffee and then whisk it into the cream with the cinnamon until it thickens. 

Put the coffee cream filling into a piping bag, cut a small piping tip, and pipe filling onto half the hazelnut coffee macaron shells before sandwiching together with the others.  

Hint: macarons taste best when they have had a little time to absorb some of the moisture from the filling and go slightly chewy, 2-4 hours after filling.