Ok, here we are with the third Valentine macaron recipe of the week. Allow me to introduce you to these red wine chocolate macarons! Now, can you make these macarons when it isn’t Valentine’s Day? Absolutely. But I used an edible marker to write cute messages on these, making them perfect to give to your loved one, or even your crush. Be bold, my friends!
Is there a more classic combination than red wine and chocolate? I don’t think so. I’m going to be honest. A couple of friends and I used to have dinners that literally only consisted of bread, cheese, red wine, and chocolate. The dinner of champions! Had I been as into making macarons as I am now, I for sure would have brought these to dinner too.
You can 100% taste the red wine in these, so be sure to use one you like. A pinot noir would be an excellent choice, but a Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot would also be good. I’m not a Merlot girl, so I’m just guessing with that, but if you like it, I’m sure it’ll taste great.
For the ganache, go with a semisweet chocolate. Too dark will compete with the taste of the wine and milk chocolate will be too overwhelmed by the wine. A good semisweet is the perfect choice!
Making the ganache is easy. Cream, wine, cocoa powder, and sugar go in a pot over the stove and we bring that to a simmer. Then we add in our chocolate, butter, and a pinch of salt and mix it all together. For these macarons, you want to let the ganache sit for a while so it can thicken to a pipable consistency. I left mine for about an hour and a half and it was perfect. Thick enough to pipe, but not so thick I couldn’t sandwich the shells together.
The best part about making these red wine chocolate macarons though? You can enjoy the same wine used in your ganache as you’re enjoying them. It’s really a dream situation!
Step 2To start, put the almond flour and powdered sugar in a food processor and blend thoroughly. Sift into a bowl to ensure there are no lumps.
Step 3In the bowl of a stand mixer (make sure it’s clean and dry), beat the egg whites until foamy. Slowly add the sugar, about 2 tbsp at a time, beating on a medium speed. Once the sugar has dissolved, increase speed to medium high and beat until a thick glossy meringue forms. Add pink food colouring and beat to combine. The mixture should form stiff peaks and you should be able to tip the bowl over your head with none of the mixture coming out.
Step 4With a large, flat rubber spatula, gently fold 1/3 of almond flour/powdered sugar mixture into egg whites until combined. Repeat until all of the almond mixture has been added. Fold to combine until you see no streaks of almond flour in the batter. The batter should be pretty fluid, a lot of people describe as a lava-like consistency. It should run smoothly off the spatula when you pull it out. This part comes with practice. Once you know the consistency, you’ll just be able to feel when it’s ready.
Step 5Pipe the batter into circles onto parchment or silicone lined baking sheets. Bang the tray a few times on a table to remove air bubbles and allow to sit for about 30 minutes before baking. To see if they’re ready for baking, touch your finger to them. If you get batter on your finger, they need to rest longer.
Step 6While resting, preheat your oven to 300°F with a rack placed in the lower third of the oven. Bake, one sheet at a time, for 15-18 minutes (this depends on your oven, my old one was fine at 15 minutes, this one needs 17-18). The shells should cool completely before you remove them from the parchment/silicone.
Step 7Red Wine Chocolate Ganache:
Step 8Place the heavy cream, red wine, cocoa powder and sugar in a saucepan. Whisk together and bring to a simmer. Allow the mixture to simmer for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 9Remove from the heat and add in the chocolate, butter, and salt. Stir to combine and set aside to cool and thicken.
Step 10Assembly:
Step 11Pair up the macaron shells and write messages on them using an edible marker.
Step 12Pipe the ganache onto one half of each pair and sandwich together.
Step 13Refrigerate for 12-24 hours for the best flavour.
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