Chocolate Hazelnut Macarons

Directions

1. Arrange the racks in your oven so that they are ⅓ from the top and ⅔ from the bottom, then heat the oven to 275°F.
2. Sift hazelnut flour, almond flour, confectioners’ sugar, and espresso powder into a large bowl and set aside.
3. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Set aside.
4. Using a stand mixer on medium speed with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy and about doubled in volume (about 3 minutes).
5. Turn the mixer off and add about ⅓ of the caster sugar. Whisk on medium-high speed for about 10 seconds and then add another ⅓ of the sugar. Let the mixer continue to whisk for another 10 seconds and add in the remaining sugar. Once all the sugar is added, turn the mixer to the highest setting and whisk until stiff peaks form, between 2 to 4 minutes. You should be able to lift the bowl of meringue upside down without anything dripping.
6. Using a spatula, gently fold the beaten egg whites into the hazelnut flour mixture in three intervals. Make sure the dry ingredients are folded in completely before adding more. Keep folding the batter until you are able to draw the number 8 with the macaron batter falling off of your spatula. The batter should seem thick at first, but continue folding the batter until it thins into a thick pancake batter like consistency when drawing the number 8. Be careful not to overmix.
7. Scoop the batter into a large piping bag fitted with a medium round tip about ½-inch in diameter. Hold the piping bag 90° to the prepared baking sheet and pipe 2 inch rounds about 1 inch apart. Pick up and bang the baking sheet against the counter a couple times to release any air bubbles. Use a toothpick to pop any remaining air bubbles.
8. Let the macarons sit at room temperature for 45 to 60 minutes or until a skin forms on the surface. You should be able to gently touch the surface without the batter sticking.
9. Once skin has formed, bake macarons for about 20 minutes or until they do not shake when touched. Let the macarons cool fully on the baking sheet before removing them and they will easily peel off.
10. Match each macaron half with another half that’s similar in size. Prepare another large piping bag fitted with the same round tip from earlier and fill with nutella. Dollop about 1 tablespoon of nutella in the center of the bottom macaron, leaving a ½-inch border. Sandwich the other macaron half on top and repeat with the remaining macarons.
11. To serve, brew a fresh cup of Nespresso Infiniment Gourmand Saveur Noisette, then cozy up on the couch and enjoy this perfect pairing.