Hot Chocolate Macarons

 

Once again, ice cream making was happening and I was left with 3 egg whites to get baking with. As I had a bit more time on my hands, I decided to embark on another tricky bake to try and refresh my baking skills. These macarons are based on a hot chocolate, with a gooey and crisp chocolate shell and a marshmallow filling. The idea was to make a marshmallow that became set once cooled, but it seems that my plan to use gelatine didn't quite work as it ended up not getting hot enough to mix into the marshmallow mixture. It's been a long time since I've used my marshmallow recipe, so clearly it needs a bit of work. Despite this, the marshmallow still tastes delicious and provides a very welcome alternative flavour to the rich chocolate macaron. 

Recipe - Makes 24 

For the macarons: 

• 2 egg whites
• 100g ground almonds
• 120g icing sugar
• 50g caster sugar
• 20g cocoa powder

For the marshmallow filling:

• 1 egg white
• 55g caster sugar
• 1 tsp liquid glucose

To make the macarons, start by combining the almonds, peanuts and icing sugar in a food processor and whizz together to fine. Sieve into a bowl and set aside.

Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl to stiff peaks. Add the caster sugar a spoonful at a time, whisking until incorporated before adding more. Continue to whisk until the mixture is glossy and stiff. Tip in the nut mixture and fold in with a spatula until the mixture is magma like but leaves a trail.

Transfer the mix to a piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain piping nozzle and pipe 4cm diameter circles on lined baking trays (you could use a macaron mat or draw 4cm diameter circles on the underside of baking paper to help with this). Bang the trays on the work surface a few times to get rid of any peaks and bubbles. Leave, uncovered, to rest for 1 hour, or until a skin has formed on the surface of the batter.

Bake at 150C for 15 minutes or until the top of a macaron cracks when pressed gently and they sound hollow when tapped. Remove from the oven and leave on the tray to cool.

Meanwhile, make the marshmallow filling by putting the egg white, sugar and glucose in a clean bowl over a pan of simmering water. Whisk until stiff. Take off the heat and whisk until cooled to room temperature. Transfer it into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm star nozzle. 

Once the macaron shells have cooled, transfer to a wire rack and match up pairs. Pipe a circle of the marshmallow onto one of the macaron shells and put another on top, pressing gently. Do this with the remainder of the macarons. Serve straight away or store in the fridge on their side for up to 3-4 days.