Organic Chocolate Macarons with Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients
• 180g Organic Times Organic
Almond Meal
• 200g Organic Times Organic Icing Sugar
• 30g Organic Times Organic Cocoa Powder
• 75ml water
• 200g caster sugar
• 2 x 80g egg whites (aprrox requires 4-5 eggs depending on egg size).
Ganache Filling:
• 200g Organic Times Organic Milk or Dark Chocolate Buttons
• 100g Organic Times Organic Butter (soften and cut into pieces)
• 2 tablespoons Organic Times Organic Icing Sugar
Method
1. Process, and then carefully sift the almond meal and icing sugar. Set aside.
2. In a saucepan, bring the water and caster sugar to the boil. Without stirring, make sure the temperature of the resulting syrup doesn’t go above 115°C using a sugar thermometer.
3. Gently beat 80 grams egg whites to soft peaks then increase the speed of the beater when the temperature of the syrup passes 105°C. When the syrup reaches 115°C remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the syrup in a thin stream into the beaten egg whites. Continue to beat the meringue for about 10 minutes, until it cools.
4. Combine the almond meal/icing sugar mixture, cocoa powder and the remaining unbeaten egg whites, making a smooth almond paste.
5. Using a flexible spatula, initially incorporate about a third of the meringue into the almond paste to loosen the mixture a little, then add the rest of the meringue, working the batter carefully.
6. Fill a piping bag fitted with an 8mm nozzle with the batter. Prepare four baking trays with baking paper. Pipe out small, regular and well placed rounds, each about the size of a walnut. Lightly tap the bottom of the trays and allow the macarons to form a crust at room temperature for 45-60 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to 140-150°C.
8. Bake in the oven for 14 minutes. Remove from baking paper and cool on a wire rack.
9. To make the chocolate ganache, combine the butter and chocolate in a medium heat proof bowl and place over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until melted and smooth. Whisk in icing sugar; cool to room temperature. Beat with wooden spoon until thick and spreadable. Once cooled, fill macarons by piping ganache in the centre of one macaron shell and sandwich with a second macaron.