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| Ingredients | | For the batter | | 125g ground almonds | | 210g icing sugar | | 15g (3 teaspoons) cocoa powder | | 100g egg whites (about 3 whites) | | 25g caster sugar | | 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar | | For the ganache filling | | 100g cream | | 200g dark chocolate, finely chopped | | 2 teaspoons Amaretto liqueur or rum, optional | | To assemble | | Baker's notes |
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| Chocolate Almond Macaroons |
| 01 / 05 / 05 Dean Brettschneider and Lauraine Jacobs |
| Photography by Aaron McLean |
| Dean Brettschneider had always wanted to know how to perfect these bite-sized macaroons ever since he first discovered them at Jean-Luc Poujuran’s Parisian pâtisserie. Now that he has the recipe from BakeMark Ingredients France’s export pastry chef, Olivier Hutt, he is happy! The macaroons are perfect as petits fours or after-dinner treats. |
Method |
For the batter
Sift the ground almonds, icing sugar and cocoa together. (You may have to use your hand to push the almonds through the sieve.) Combine the ingredients well and set aside.
Whisk the egg whites, caster sugar and cream of tartar on a high speed (using if possible an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment) till the mixture holds stiff peaks. Add in dry ingredients. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, mix until a thick paste has formed.
Place mixture in a piping bag fitted with a small plain piping tube about 1/2cm in diameter. Pipe small bulbs of the macaroon mixture about 11/2cm in diameter on to a baking tray lined with baking paper, allowing a gap of at least 2cm between each.
Lift the tray up and bang it on the bench several times to allow the mixture to settle and spread a little. Leave the unbaked macaroons for 45 minutes at room temperature to form a skin while you preheat the oven to 200ºC.
Bake the macaroons for 8-10 minutes until they have risen and spread slightly. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely (you can make the ganache while waiting) before gently peeling each macaroon off the baking paper.
For the ganache filling
Place cream in a saucepan and gently bring it to the boil. Remove from the heat and then add the chocolate and the Amaretto. Stir with a wooden spoon until all the chocolate has melted.
Place the mixture in a bowl, cover and leave out at room temperature to cool (do not put it in the refrigerator). Beat the ganache with a wooden spoon until it changes in colour and becomes lighter in texture.
To assemble
Place the ganache in a piping bag fitted with a small plain piping tube. Pipe a dot of ganache on to the base of one macaroon, then sandwich with another macaroon, base to base. Continue until all macaroons have been sandwiched. Allow the ganache to set before eating, if you can wait that long! Makes 40 sandwiched macaroons.
Baker's notes
All utensils need to be completely clean and free of any traces of fat or grease. Wash them beforehand in hot soapy water, rinse them well (also in hot water) and dry with a paper towel.
Feel free to make the ganache in advance and keep it until required. Ensure that it is firm, lightly whipped and at room temperature before you use it.
Make sure the almonds are very finely ground. If they are coarse, place them in a food processor with the icing sugar and blend until a fine powder has formed.
When mixing in the dry ingredients, don’t worry about losing the air bubbles you have just created: too much air in the mixture will cause the individual macaroons to puff up in the oven. 
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