Ingredients (makes 50 macaron cookies) For the macaron shells:

• 164g egg whites, divided to two
• 200g white granulated sugar
• 50ml water
• 205g almond flour/ground almonds
• 205g brown sugar powder
• 5g Nescafé espresso instant coffee, grind

For the filling: – dark chocolate & coffee ganache

• 200g dairy free dark chocolate
• 60ml heavy cream
• 20ml strong filter coffee
• 20g brown sugar powder

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Prepare two baking sheets with baking paper or silicone macaron baking sheets.
2. Divide your egg whites to two, leaving 82g aside and placing 82g in your mixing bowl.
3. Place the granulated sugar and water in a pot and put it on the stove on medium heat, at the same time start whisking the egg whites in your mixing bowl in medium high speed.
4. When the sugar and water mixture starts to boil let it boil for one minute until it comes a thick syrup then lower the whisking of your egg whites to low speed and slowly pour the syrup in the foam.
5. Turn whisking on high speed and continue whisking for about 5 minutes until you get stiff and glossy peaks.
6. Meanwhile mix your almond flour, powdered sugar and grinded instant coffee until fully incorporated, then add your second part of egg whites in and mix.
7. Add the almond paste in your bowl with meringue and gently mix it by folding with a spatula or big spoon.
8. Pipe the macaron shells onto your baking paper or silicone macaron mat. 
9. Get rid of possible air bubbles by lifting your baking sheet 10 cm and dropping it on a flat surface, do that few times and you are ready to bake the macarons.
10. Lower the temperature of your preheated oven to 150°C and bake one sheet at time, in the middle of the oven for 18 minutes.

    

    When testing whether they are baked enough you can gently touch one shell with your finger, if you feel it’s wobbly leave it for another minute or two until you can see the shell is settled and will come off in one piece.

11. Let the shells cool down for 5 minutes before peeling them off.
12. Line the shells up for filling, matching shells next to each other.
13. Prepare the ganache and fill the macarons:
    • Place the heavy cream in a small sauce pan and bring to boil
    • Break the dark chocolate into pieces and place in a bowl or a deep plate.
    • Pour the hot cream and hot coffee over the dark chocolate, leave it for a minute and then mix. 
    • Once all chocolate has melted sift the brown powdered sugar in and mix well.
    • Place the ganache in a piping bag and start piping in circles on the flat side of the shells.
    • Top with another shell to make a sandwich

and you got a ready macaron!   The coffee flavor is still very mild and the dark chocolate flavor definitely dominates. I will next time add some more coffee and maybe sprinkle some grinded instant coffee on the top of the shells too. The feet fell short again which I will try to fix next time by letting them sit for some time before baking though Italian method does not normally require that step. Letting it form a thin layer on top will help in forming feet. I’ll also have a go with French method before summer heat and humidity.