Inverted Reese's Peanut Butter Macaron

Well...that was the idea for today's post anyway. Conceptually, I loved the idea of flipping a Reese's peanut butter cup inside out in macaron form -- chocolate on the inside and crispy peanut macaron shell on the outside. Then for a final touch, dip the macaron sandwich in smooth chocolate.

While the final result was absolutely delicious, if I do say so myself, I don't think it completely captured the peanut butter cup flavor. The chocolate ganache recipe that I chose had a fudgey consistency and sweetly dark flavor, and while that is delish, it's not quite the smooth milky chocolate used by Reese's.

So the search continues. I'll just have to try the inverted Reese's another time...oh how will I ever eat all of the rejects?  

So for today's post, I give you...Peanut Macaron & Chocolate Ganache!

I know. It just doesn't have that same ring to it as a "Inverted Reese's Macaron", but if we all believe, one day maybe I will find that recipe!

These macarons were inspired by fall, perfect for Halloween with their rich orange shells and spooky dark chocolate.

This recipe twists the traditional almond flavor of macaron by adding ground peanut flour or meal to change the flavor, while still holding the same meringue form.

Just look at how they hold the form of those lovely domes! 

Peanut flour can be bought or made at home, just like almond flour. I'll share a more detailed tutorial later this month. 

Only a little peanut flour is needed since it has a much stronger flavor and aroma than almonds, but the ratio of how much peanut to almond flour varies among the different recipes online. In general, most recipes use less peanut to almond flour although I've tried a ratio of 50/40 and 70/20 grams (total of 90 grams) and both recipes still held the meringue form. 

Today's recipe is a half-sized recipe which will leave you with no left-overs after everyone has gone home, happy, full, and buzzing on a sugar high.

Peanut Macarons

(Batch yields about 26 shells/13 sandwiches)

50 g almond flour
40 g peanut flour
120 g powder sugar
40 g granulated sugar
70 g egg white
gel or paste food coloring (optional)

1. Combine almond flour, peanut flour, and powder sugar in a food processor to break down any large pieces and mix ingredients.
2. Beat egg white in a mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes until the beaters leave a trail. You can add a pinch of cream of tartar to help thicken the meringue if you wish, since sometimes smaller batches take longer to get frothy.
3. Add granulated sugar to egg whites and beat for 6 - 8 minutes on medium speed until the meringue forms with stiff peaks.
4. Add half of the flour mixture to the meringue and fold it with a spatula to combine. If you want to add coloring, now would be the time. I added two drops of orange and one drop of yellow of gel food coloring. Once that's incorporated, add the rest of the flour mixture. Folding the batter will flatten the meringue a bit, but don't worry. That's all part of the process.
5. Fill your piping bag (round large tip) with the batter and pipe small 1-inch cookies onto a parchment paper or silicone mat. Space the rows of cookies out so they can spread and flatten. Tap the baking sheet against the table to help work any air bubbles to the surface. If your meringues have peaks, you can wet your finger and tap them down gently to make the smooth flat top.
6. Wait 20 - 30 minutes for the outside surface of the cookie to dry and get a bit tacky to touch.
7. Throw your macarons in the oven and bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes.
TIP: The macaron is baked solid all the way through when you can easily pick the whole cookie off of the sheet without the top separating from the bottom or cracking.
8. Let the macaron shells cool and then fill with the chocolate ganache.


Chocolate Ganache 
1/4 cup heavy cream
1.5 oz unsweetened baking dark chocolate
1/2 cup powder sugar

1. Heat heavy cream in a saucepan or microwave until just boiling.
2. Pour cream over chopped chocolate into a heat-proof bowl. Mix by hand with a spatula until combined.
3. Add powder sugar to sweeten the chocolate a little at a time to taste. You may prefer more or less than half a cup.
4. Pipe or spoon the ganache onto the macaron shell and sandwich together. The ganache melts with heat and solidifies at room temperature. To dip your cookie into the chocolate, like I did with mine, add one tablespoons more of hot heavy cream to thin the ganache. Let mature for a few hours or overnight before serving.

Rating of Difficulty: 3.5 out of 5. Usually I rate macarons at a 4, since there's so much time and technique involved in making the perfect looking shells. But, I had to give these an easier rating because half of the trouble for some macarons is whipping up a buttercream filling after whipping up macarons. It's a lot of whipping, a lot of bowls to clean, and a lot of work. This chocolate ganache is so much easier than that! If you can make hot chocolate, then you can probably make this ganache.

Would I recommend this recipe? It's a macaron, so, duh, of course I would! While it didn't quite hit the mark of an Inverted Reese's Peanut Butter Macaron, the flavors and consistency was just heavenly. The dark chocolate ganache has the sweet bitter taste and soft fudgey thickness usually found inside truffles.

I would, however, like to experiment more with the chocolate outer covering for the dipped cookies. Since chocolate ganache is heat sensitive, the outer coating tended to melt in your hands if it wasn't eaten immediately out of the fridge.

The thick icing consistency not only made it harder to dip, but it also made it nearly impossible to draw any jack-o-lantern faces on my macarons for Halloween.

 

Monsieur Mac says Happy Halloween!

On the plus side, the macaron shell was so soft and gooey within the chocolate coating that it was quite a dramatic juxtaposition against the crispy peanut shell.

Want more info on getting started with macarons? Check this out!

How is your macaron baking adventures going? Have you ever started out with one idea and ended up with a completely different and just as satisfying conclusion? Please share away!

Thanks for stopping by!

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