CHOCOLATE MACARONS

Makes 20 Takes about 1 hour 20 minutes, plus setting and cooling

INGREDIENTS For the macarons

• 130g/4¾oz ground almonds

• 170g/5¾oz icing sugar

• 50g/2oz cocoa powder

• 150ml/¼pt egg whites (roughly equivalent to 5 egg whites)

• A pinch of salt

• 120g/4¼oz caster sugar

For the raspberry & white chocolate ganache

• 100ml/4fl oz raspberry puree

• 150g/5oz white chocolate, chopped

• 25g/1oz butter

For the espresso buttercream

• 100g/4oz soft butter

• 150g/5oz icing sugar

• 1-2 tsp instant espresso powder dissolved in 1 tbsp boiling water

1. First make the raspberry and white chocolate ganache. Heat the raspberry puree until just boiling, leave to cool for about 30 seconds, then pour over the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl. Stir until the chocolate and butter have melted and cool completely.

2. Spoon the ganache into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm/½in plain nozzle and chill in the fridge for 6-8 hours, or until set.

3. The ganache will fill 20 macarons or you can make espresso buttercream instead. For the buttercream, whisk the butter until soft and sift in half of the icing sugar. Whisk again before sifting in the remaining half. Add the espresso and whisk well until light and fluffy. Spoon the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm/½in plain nozzle and set aside.

4. To make the macaron shells, put the ground almonds in a food processor and blitz until incredibly fine. Don’t leave the motor running for too long though, or the almonds will become oily. Once blitzed, add the icing sugar and cocoa and pulse until fully combined and lump free. Pass the mixture through a fine mesh sieve 2 or 3 times.

5. Line 1-2 heavy baking trays with baking parchment.

6. In a large and spotlessly clean bowl, use a handheld electric whisk to whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff. Gradually, 1 tbsp at a time, add the caster sugar, whisking between each addition. You should be left with a shiny and very stiff meringue. Fold the blitzed ingredients into the meringue until fully combined. Continue mixing until the mixture has a soft, dropping consistency. Spoon the mixture into another piping bag fitted with a 1cm/½in nozzle and, with the nozzle pointed straight down, carefully pipe 40 rounds about 4cm/1½in in diameter onto the lined baking trays, spaced well apart to allow for spreading. Lift and drop the trays on a hard surface 3 times to expel any air bubbles. Set aside for an hour.

7. Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4. For best results, turn off the fan – if you can’t, reduce the temperature to 160°C, fan 140°C, gas 3.

8. Bake the macaron shells in the preheated oven for 16-18 minutes, or until dry and glossy with raised feet. Open the oven door briefly 3 times during cooking, to release any steam. Slide the macaron shells off the baking sheets onto wire cooling racks. Leave to cool completely before carefully peeling the macaron shells off the paper. The shells should lift off the paper easily.

9. Sandwich 2 macaron shells together with a generous blob of ganache or espresso buttercream. Once filled, consume within 2-3 days – they are best eaten the day after they are made.

‘Your friends and family will hail you as a genius for making these dainty French confections’