140 g almond flour
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (250 g) powdered sugar
¼ cup (25 g) Dutch processed cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
100 g egg whites (about 4 large egg whites)
Get ready
Using a 1 ½ inch cookie cutter, trace a total of 40 circles separated by 1 inch onto 2 sheets of parchment. Turn the parchment over so the ink does not touch the cookie and line two baking sheets. Fit a large pastry bag with a plain ½ inch tip.
Make the batter
Sift almond flour, powdered sugar and cocoa together.
Measure the egg whites. You won’t need all of the fourth egg white. Using a microwave on the lowest power setting, microwave the egg whites for 10 seconds. Continue microwaving in 5 second intervals until they are about 75°. Beat the egg whites at low to medium speed until they are foamy. Continue beating on high speed until they are firm and glossy. When you lift the whisk the egg whites should form a peak that droops just a little.
Working with a spatula, gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg whites in 3 additions. When all of the dry ingredients are incorporated it should look like cake batter.
Pipe the cookies
Spoon the batter into the pastry bag and pipe into the circles on the parchment lined pans. When you’ve piped all the rounds, lift the baking sheet with both hands and bang it on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles. Let the cookies sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Bake
Preheat the oven to 425°. Dust the tops of the cookies with cocoa powder and slide the pans into the oven. As soon as the baking sheet is in the oven, lower the temperature to 300°. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the tops are smooth and the cookies are firm to the touch. Let the cookies cool in the oven with the door left open a few inches. Remove the cookies from the parchment once completely cool.
Assemble the cookies
Pipe a dollop of ganache onto the flat side of half the cookies. On top of the ganache place another cookie flat side down and press gently. Try to pair each cookie with another of equal size.
Place the macaroons in a covered container in the refrigerator overnight before serving. Separate the layers of cookies with wax paper.
Adapted from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Herme and Food 52’s Double Chocolate French Macarons.
