Are you ready for the Super Bowl? I’m totally not. But I do have some cookies, so that’s a good start. The first cookies I made today were Steelers macarons — yellow shells with chocolate ganache.

I used the same recipe and method for the macaron shells I used during the 12 days of Christmas cookies, but I added some food coloring gel when the meringue was getting close to ready. It’s preferable to use powdered food coloring, but you have to order that. The “gold” color from Duff Goldman’s jewel tones pack (available at Michael’s) gave me this lovely goldenrod color.

As you can see, the color calms down a little once you bake them — so you should try to make the batter a little brighter/darker than you want the finished cookies to be.

Now, my grand plan was to make chocolate ganache for the filling, throw a few drops of black food coloring in it, and magically have Steelers cookies. Unfortunately, I either used a weird recipe or I did something wrong (or both) and my chocolate seized. Plus, the ganache wasn’t sweet enough (I think this is because I used Scharffen Berger bittersweet chocolate, which is 70% cacao) and I had to add some semi-sweet chocolate chips I had laying around. So I am going to give you an easier chocolate ganache recipe and recommend you don’t use black food coloring.

By the way: If your chocolate does seize (gets all gritty and lumpy), just add some more heavy cream (a tablespoon or more) and stir it up. With enough cream and stirring, it will return to its smooth and creamy glory.

You may have to refrigerate the chocolate ganache for a little bit, until it is thickened enough that it won’t run all over the place when you put it on the cookies. I put the thickened chocolate in a small Ziploc with a small hole cut in the corner to put it on the cookies, but you can use a spoon if you’d rather. I just think it’s a little easier to pipe it.

Steel Curtain macarons (Cookie recipe from Tartelette, chocolate ganache from Bon Appetit) Makes about 30 macarons
Shells
90 grams egg whites (age them for 3 to 5 days in the fridge)
25 grams granulated sugar
200 grams powdered sugar
110 grams almonds (I used slivered, but you can use whatever kind you want)
Yellow food coloring (powdered preferred)

Using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer, whip the egg whites until foamy. Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat. Add food coloring. Continue beating until meringue is glossy and looks like shaving cream.

Pulse the powdered sugar and almonds in a food processor until the nuts are finely ground. Add the nut mixture to the meringue and carefully fold the mixture together until you have, as Tartelette says, “a batter that falls back on itself after counting to 10.” Don’t over-mix it. Test a little on a plate – the top should flatten on its own. If it leaves a little point, fold that batter a little more.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Put the batter in a pastry bag with a plain (large) tip or a large Ziploc bag with a hole cut in one of the bottom corners, pipe little rounds (1- to 1.5-inches across) onto the lined baking sheets. Let the macarons sit for 30 minutes to an hour to allow the shells to harden a little.

Heat the oven to 280 degrees and bake the shells for 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool slightly, but remove them from the baking sheet while still a little warm (they’ll get soggy if you let them sit too long). I usually pick the Silpat up, bend it slightly and sort of tap the bottom of the cookie with my fingers if it doesn’t pop right off. If the cookies are sticking and you used parchment paper, put a few drops of water under the paper while the sheet is still warm.

Chocolate ganache
6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1 cup bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips

Bring cream to a simmer in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove cream from heat, add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Allow to cool until it is spreadable but not runny (you may have to put it in the fridge for 10-15 minutes).

To assemble cookies: Spread or pipe about 1 teaspoon chocolate on the flat side of a cookie shell. Place the flat side of another cookie shell of similar size on top and press gently to make a sandwich.

Layer between sheets of wax paper in an air-tight container and place in refrigerator to store. Serve at room temperature.