Hazelnut Macarons

Yes, yes, another post about macarons. Sorry, I've been obsessed lately; not because they're so delicious (which they are) but because I'm trying to perfect my technique.

These are some photos of the pink hazelnut macarons I made with the chocolate ganache and chopped hazelnut filling, which I mentioned in yesterday's post. The combination of hazelnut cookie and chocolate/hazelnut center really made these taste like nutella. Insanely delicious or deliciously insane.

Just like the pistachio ones, I substituted half of the almonds for hazelnuts. You can buy whole hazelnuts and blanch them (dip in boiling water) and then rub off the skins but I didn't think they did anything negative to the cookies, either in taste or appearance.

I decided to try dyeing these pink, if you couldn't tell. Most of them have tiny little peaks, which did hurt the finished product a bit, but it wasn't a huge deal. It's not like I'm applying to be the pastry chef at Laduree or something.

They pink did get a bit more dull once they were baked. I'm slowly starting to understand how much coloring it takes to maintain vibrancy.

Looks perfect, does it not? It's slightly speckled with the hazelnut skins, but I think it makes them look more charming and edible.

Here's a side view, so you can see the lovely filling.

And here's a view after I chomped into it. SO GOOD.