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Macarons, three ways

Christmas macaroons, three ways


Why not entice your friends and family with these classic French treats. Filled with a choice of chocolate and raspberry, hazelnut and chocolate, or white chocolate, these macarons are sure to delight your guests.

Ingredients

Macaron shell
  • 195 g ground almonds
  • 330 g icing sugar
  • 180 g egg whites
  • 81 g caster sugar
  • 15 g cocoa powder
  • pink food colouring
  • brown food colouring
  • yellow food colouring
Chocolate ganache filling
  • 100 g whipping cream
  • 100 g dark chocolate couverture, chopped
  • 25 g butter, softened
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  • 100 g fresh raspberries
Hazelnut ganache filling
  • 100 g whipping cream
  • 50 g hazlenut paste
  • 100 g dark chocolate couverture, chopped
  • 25 g butter, softened
White chocolate ganache filling
  • 100 g whipping cream
  • 140 g white chocolate couverture, chopped
  • 25 g butter, softened
  • 10 ml Kirsch
Decoration
  • 50 g melted white chocolate
  • hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
  • pink and gold lustre dust
  • pistachio nuts, finely ground

 

Method

Meringue shell:

Preheat the oven to 140ºC. Sieve ground almonds, cocoa powder and icing sugar. Make a stiff peak meringue with the egg whites and caster sugar. Divide into three and add pink, brown, and yellow food colouring. Add the dry mix over the meringue in three inclusions and ‘macaronner’ the mixture until smooth and shiny. Add the mixture to a piping bag and pipe little macarons of 3 cm of diameter on silicone mat or baking paper. Leave to crust for 30 minutes before baking at 140ºC for 12 minutes.

Chocolate ganache filling:

Bring the cream to the boil and pour over the chopped chocolate. Make an emulsion and add the softened butter. Chill until firm before using.

Hazelnut ganache filling:

Bring the cream to the boil and stir in the hazelnut paste to dissolve. Pour over the chopped chocolate. Make an emulsion and add the soft butter. Chill until firm before using.

White chocolate ganache filling:

Bring the cream to the boil and pour over the chopped chocolate. Add the Kirsch. Make an emulsion and add the softened butter. Chill until firm before using.

Assembly and decoration (chocolate ganache filling):

Match macarons into pairs. Fill the macaron shells with chocolate ganache using a piping bag and add fresh raspberries. Decorate with piped white chocolate.

Assembly and decoration (hazlenut ganache filling):

Match macarons into pairs. Fill the macaron shells by adding chocolate ganache to one half using a piping bag. Sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts, then place the second paired macaron shell on top.

Assembly and decoration (white chocolate ganache filling):

Match macarons into pairs and dust the tops with pink and gold lustre dust. Fill the macaron shells with ganache using a piping bag. Decorate with a sprinkle of chopped pistachio nuts.

 

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