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Stack of macarons with sea salt chocolate ganache

Nut Free Chocolate Macarons

A delicious macaron recipe with a sea salt chocolate ganache filling that you'd never know is made with pepitas instead of nuts.
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Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine French
Servings 20 cookies
Calories 142 kcal

Ingredients
  

Macarons

  • 100 g pepitas (ground - approximately 2/3 cups whole pepitas)
  • ½ tsp lemon juice
  • 3 egg whites
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1 ⅓ cup powdered sugar
  • ¼ cup refined sugar

Sea Salt Chocolate Ganache

  • ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
  • ¼ tsp sea salt

Instructions
 

Macarons

  • Bring egg whites and lemon juice to room temperature.
  • Grind pepitas until fine using a food processor. Pulse and be careful not to over process as they will form a paste. Mine did have some pieces slightly larger than a sifter allows to pass. I still add them as long as they're not larger than 1/8 of a seed (realize you will be chewing them in a soft cookie).
  • Sift together the pepitas, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar.
  • In a mixing bowl with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites and lemon juice until they are light and fluffy. Slowly add the granulated sugar. Continue to whip until stiff and peaks form.
  • Fold in the cocoa, pepita, and powdered sugar mixture. Fold until it falls from the spatula in one long piece.
  • Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking sheets.
  • Place batter in a piping bag (or zip-loc with corner cut off).
  • Pipe 1 1/2" circles on the parchment paper.
  • Leave out at room temperature for 45 minutes to allow a film to form across the tops.
  • Preheat oven to 400°F. Place the macarons in the oven and immediately turn the temperature to 300°F. Bake for 16-18 minutes, careful not to brown the tops.
  • Allow them to cool completely prior to piping ganache on top.

Salted Chocolate Ganache

  • Heat heavy cream in a small pot on the stove. It should be heated to just below boiling temperatures and then removed from heat.
  • Stir in the sea salt and chocolate chips. Allow them to melt.
  • Allow the ganache to cool and then place in the refrigerator to chill.
  • When it's set (about 30 minutes-1 hour), place in a piping bag and pipe a generous amount on the inside of cookies. Sandwich them.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookieCalories: 142kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 3gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 41mgPotassium: 101mgFiber: 1gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 135IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 13mgIron: 1mg
Keyword chocolate macarons, macarons, nut free macarons
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