Ferrero Rocher Macarons with Nutella Ganache (No Rest French method)
These Ferrero Rocher macarons were one of my top sellers back in high school, along with my birthday cake and red velvet macarons. I’m excited to share this recipe with you all and I hope you enjoy making (and eating) them as much as I do!
If you haven’t had Ferrero Rocher before, it is a chocolate originating from Italy. It consists of a roasted hazelnut + hazelnut chocolate encased in a thin spherical wafer, which is coated in milk chocolate and chopped hazelnuts. The intense flavor and different textures make it a delight to eat, which is why it is one of my favorite chocolates to have. They’re wrapped in their iconic gold foil placed into a fluted brown paper cup, topped with a Ferrero Rocher sticker. If you see them at your local grocery store, I seriously recommend trying them.
When developing this recipe in high school, I knew I wanted to incorporate various textures similar to the original Ferrero Rocher, while also keeping the flavor profile. I thought the chewiness of the macaron shell would somewhat mimic the thin wafer, so all I needed to add were hazelnut and chocolate. If you’d like, you can swap the almond flour for hazelnut flour, which is what I did when in school. Since I had trouble finding some where I currently live, I used regular almond flour and still found the treat to be just as good.
For the filling, I mixed in Nutella—a chocolate hazelnut spread—into my ganache. If you have it in your area, I recommend adding the hazelnut extract, but if not, don’t stress about it. With the ring of Nutella ganache, Ferrero Rocher pieces in the middle, and chocolate + hazelnuts on top of the macaron, they will still be packed with flavor. Additionally, if you toast your hazelnuts, the natural oils will be released, making them richer and nuttier. With this step, the macarons will still be full of flavors similar to Ferrero Rocher and are just *chefs kiss*!
In this recipe, I detail the two ways I decorated my macarons. For the first one, I dipped the top macaron shell into melted chocolate, then coated it in chopped hazelnuts. For the second design, I transferred the remaining melted chocolate into a piping bag, cut a small opening, and drizzled it onto one half of the macaron. Sprinkled on some roasted hazelnuts while the chocolate was still wet, then applied edible gold leaf wherever I liked! Another idea would be to use edible gold spray, or mix gold luster dust with a bit of vodka, then use a wide paintbrush to apply designs on top of the macarons.
Tips for using edible gold leaf:
- Have two paintbrushes, one tweezer, and a small cup of water on hand.
- Be careful not to touch the gold leaf with your fingers—it will stick your hand very easily! You can wear gloves, but I try to only touch the gold leaf using my tools.
- Before applying the gold leaf, use one of your paintbrushes to lightly dampen the spot you want to place the gold leaf with some water. Then, take your tweezers and pull off a piece of the gold leaf. Place the gold leaf on the dampened spot and brush it on using the dry paintbrush.
Wait, what about the no rest method for macarons?
First off, a more detailed post on how I make macarons can be found here. There, you can find pictures/GIFs on how I made chocolate coffee macarons with lavender + white swirls. However, in that recipe, I talk about letting the unbaked macarons rest at room temperature until the surfaces form a skin and the batter doesn’t stick to your finger when touched. This is the “traditional” resting method for macarons.
Now, about the no rest method! There isn’t a secret technique you should do when making the meringue or macaronaging. It is all about the baking pan you use. After being part of a few online macaron groups, I started seeing a lot of posts about AirBake trays (I’m not an affiliate, only a big fan!). These trays are insulated, which allows for even, slow baking. Other trays may get too hot too quickly, causing macarons to crack when being baked. With the AirBake trays, you can simply place your just-piped-macarons into the oven, and not wait the 30-60+ minutes for them to dry! These trays have saved me a LOT of time in the kitchen. If you’re a big macaron. baker, you definitely need to invest in them.
If you don’t have an AirBake or insulated tray, see my post here. There, I talk about drying and tray + silicone mat placement to help with even baking.
If you make these Ferrero Rocher macarons, I’d love to see your creations—tag me at #bitesbybianca / @bitesbybianca on Instagram! Enjoy! 🙂
Check out my other macaron recipes: Ice Cream Shaped Macarons with Chocolate Ganache, Red Velvet French Macarons, Cinnamon Bun French Macarons, Swirl French Macarons (with Chocolate Coffee Ganache)
Ferrero Rocher Macarons with Nutella Ganache (No Rest French method)
Ingredients
For the French macaron shells:
- 50 g egg whites, room temperature ($0.24)
- 40 g granulated sugar ($0.08)
- ⅛ tsp cream of tartar ($0.04)
- 60 g almond flour, sifted ($1.13, see notes)
- 45 g powdered sugar, sifted ($0.22)
- 5 g cocoa powder, sifted ($0.09)
- powder or gel brown food coloring (optional)
For the nutella ganache:
- 113 g milk chocolate (⅔ c, $1.16)
- 37 g nutella (2 tbsp, $0.39)
- 50 g heavy cream (3 ½ tbsp, $0.42)
- 2 tbsp butter ($0.31)
- ½ tsp hazelnut extract ($0.21, optional, see notes)
Topping:
- 37 g chopped hazelnuts, toasted (¼ c, $1.06)
- 42 g milk chocolate, melted (¼ c $0.43)
- 2 Ferrero rocher balls, chopped ($0.83)
- 1-2 1.5 inch sheets edible gold leaf ($1.24, optional)
Instructions
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 325°F/162°C with the rack in the middle of the oven.
- Put printed macaron template on top of baking trays. Place silicone baking mats or parchment paper on top of templates.
- Set up one medium-large piping bag with a large round tip. If you do not have a round tip, you can just snip the end of the bag before piping.
For the French macaron shells:
- In a medium bowl, mix the sifted almond flour and powdered sugar.
- In a small bowl, combine granulated sugar and cream of tartar.
- Pour the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer. Set up a stopwatch to time how long to whip the meringue. 0:00 – 4:00 minutes: Mix on medium-low for 4 minutes (Kitchenaid speed 4) until egg whites are foamy and white.4:00 – 9:30 minutes: Turn the mixer to medium speed (Kitchenaid speed 6). Add a third of the granulated sugar and cream of tartar mixture. After 30 seconds, add another third. After another 30 seconds, add the last of the granulated sugar and cream of tartar mixture. Keep mixing at medium speed until you have reached a total of 9:30 minutes. The meringue should transform from white and foamy -> white soft peaks -> white, glossy stiff peaks that balls up onto the whisk. If not, keep mixing at 20-second intervals at Kitchenaid speed 8 until it is. You can add the brown food coloring towards the end of making the meringue or when you add in your dry ingredients.
- Add all of the powdered sugar, almond flour, and cocoa powder to the meringue. Gently fold the macaron batter, often scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Fold the batter until it reaches a thick, glossy consistency and flows off the rubber spatula into ribbons. To test if it is ready, allow the batter to flow off the spatula and into the batter. If the ribbons do not melt into the rest of the batter after 30 seconds, continue folding. Be careful not to over mix. When it passes this test, transfer the batter to the piping bag.
- Pipe the macarons onto your silicone mats/parchment paper, using your template as a guide.
- After piping the macarons, remove the templates and tap the trays against the counter a few times. If there are bubbles on the surface, you can use a toothpick or cookie scribe to pop them. Popping the air bubbles helps stop them from cracking when being baked. Remove the templates.
- No-rest method if you have an airbake insulated baking tray: Bake macarons at 325°F/162°C for 15-20 minutes, rotating halfway through. To test if they are done baking, gently push the side of one shell. If it wiggles on the sheet, they need to be baked longer. If you do not have an insulated baking tray: Allow the macarons to sit out at room temperature to dry for 30-60 minutes, or until the macarons are dry to the touch and the batter does not stick to your finger. If it is a really humid day, it can sometimes take 2 hours for them to dry. Once they are set, bake macarons at 325°F/162°C for 15-20 minutes, rotating halfway through. To test if they are done baking, gently push the side of one shell. If it wiggles on the sheet, they need to be baked longer.
- Allow macarons to fully cool before peeling them off the parchment paper or silicone mats.
For the nutella ganache:
- Add milk chocolate, nutella, butter, and heavy cream to a microwave-safe bowl.
- Microwave for 45 seconds, then mix. If the chocolate is not fully melted, microwave at 10-second intervals and mix until it is smooth.
- Place bowl into the fridge and stir it every 5 minutes until the ganache is thick enough to pipe, about 15-20 minutes. Transfer ganache to a piping bag.
Assembly:
- Match the macaron shells and line them up into rows.
- For design 1: Take the top macaron shell, dip the outer shell into a bowl of melted chocolate, then dip into a bowl of toasted hazelnuts to coat the surface. Place it back next to its matching bottom shell.
- For design 2: Transfer the remaining melted chocolate into a piping bag with a small fitted tip, or cut a small opening. Drizzle chocolate onto one half of the top macaron shell in a tight zig-zag motion. Sprinkle toasted chopped hazelnuts on top.If using edible gold leaf, use a tweezer and two paintbrushes. Lightly brush water onto the surface where you want to place the gold leaf so that it will stick on more easily. Use tweezers and dry paintbrush to break off a piece of gold leaf and brush it onto the damp surface.
- Pipe a ring of nutella ganache on the bottom macaron shell. Place a few pieces of the chopped Ferrero rocher in the middle, then add the other macaron shell on top. If the top shell doesn't stick because of the Ferrero rocher pieces, pipe a small amount of ganache between the Ferrero rocher and the top shell.
- Leave macarons in an airtight container in the fridge for at least 24 hours before eating. This allows them to mature, making them softer, chewier, and more flavorful. Eat at room temperature.
Notes
- For extra hazelnut flavor, you can swap almond flour with hazelnut flour. You can also add a tiny bit of hazelnut extract to the ganache, but it is not necessary!
- Store the macarons in an airtight container. They can last in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze them for up to one month! Eat at room temperature.
- Please note that this no rest method works best if you have an airbake insulated baking pan, which allows the heat to be distributed equally when in the oven. With regular trays, the macarons may get too hot too quickly, yielding cracked macarons. If you do not have an airbake pan, you must let the macarons rest at room temperature for 30-60+ minutes until the tops are dry to the touch and the batter does not stick to your finger.
- This recipe can easily be doubled, tripled, etc.