Raspberry macarons

Method

1. Preparation

   Cut two sheets of baking paper to line two large baking trays. Trace thirty 4cm circles on the back of the paper, spacing them approximately 2cm apart. Lightly grease trays and lay baking paper, circle side down on the tray. Set aside.

2. Batter

   Place almond meal and icing sugar in a food processor and blend until finely ground. Sift twice together, discarding any lumps remaining in the sieve. Set aside. Whisk 90g of the egg whites in a medium bowl using an electric mixer, until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, whisking on high speed for 3­–4 minutes, until very thick and glossy. Add food colouring and whisk until combined. *Make colour darker than you want as they become paler when cooked.Add sifted almond meal sugar to egg white mixture and fold to combine. Fold approximately 50 times, until mixture is smooth and viscous but not runny. Mixture should move slowly when bowl is tilted. Add the remaining egg white and stir to combine and loosen mixture.

3. Piping

   Transfer into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain nozzle. Pipe discs on the prepared baking trays, flicking the tail ends back into the centre of the discs to finish each one. Tap trays firmly on the bench several times, until discs flatten slightly and tails begin to disappear into the mixture. Set aside until a crust develops and macarons can be touched without mixture sticking to your finger, this can take 1–4 hours, depending on humidity of the kitchen.

4. Baking

   Preheat the oven to 140°C. Bake for 15–20 minutes, until firm but not coloured. Macarons should come off the paper with ease when cooked. Leave on trays for 10 minutes, to cool sightly. Transfer macarons on the baking paper onto a rack to cool for a further 15 minutes. Peel off the paper and set aside.

5. Ganache filling

   To make white chocolate and raspberry ganache, bring the cream to the boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Place the chocolate in a small bowl, pour over the hot cream and set aside for 5 minutes, until melted. Stir until smooth and glossy. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes, or until mixture is very thick. Transfer ganache into a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle. Pipe approximately 1 teaspoon of ganache onto the flat side of half of the macarons. Arrange torn raspberries over the ganache and pipe on another small dollop. Sandwich with the remaining macarons, pressing gently together to secure.

6. Serving

   Best eaten on the day of making, however can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.