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.