Name: Macarons with white chocolate and raspberry ganache
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 40
Ingredients: 130 gm pure icing sugar; 110 gm almond meal; 105 gm eggwhite (about 2), at room temperature, left out overnight; 65 gm caster sugar; 4-5 drops rose food colouring; White chocolate and raspberry ganache; 50 ml pouring cream; 100 gm white chocolate; 45 gm raspberries, coarsely chopped

Not all macarons are created equal. Just ask the people queuing outside Paris’s renowned Ladurée. Equally devoted are the patrons of Paris’s other famous purveyor of the delicacy, Pierre Hermé, who specialises in a more outré style of macaron.

A true macaron should have a foundation of almonds – never coconut – and be sandwiched with just the right amount of filling, usually a flavoured cream or ganache. It should have a glossy, domed top, and a thin crisp shell which yields to a soft interior when you bite into it.

Old eggwhites work best and give a more elastic result. If you don’t have these to hand, leave your eggwhites out at room temperature overnight for similar effect.

The consistency of the raw mixture is important. Contrary to most recipes involving whisked eggwhites, in this instance you need to be more heavy-handed when mixing. It’s a case of stirring in the whisked eggwhites, rather than delicately folding as you do when making, say, a soufflé. Macaron-ophiles describe the ideal consistency as “magma-like”. But if, like us, you’re unfamiliar with magma’s consistency, you want the mixture to slide slowly down the sides of the bowl when you tip it.

Once you’ve piped the mixture, tap the tray firmly on your benchtop to settle the mixture and knock any air bubbles out.

The trick to obtaining the signature gloss and crust of the macaron is the standing time, which allows a thin skin to form before baking. Exactly how long this takes is dependent on atmospheric conditions – temperature and humidity. Don’t be tempted to rush this step; allow between four and five hours. To check the crust, touch the macarons lightly – no mixture should stick to your fingertip.

You’d be right in thinking macarons are a little tricky to make. But even if they’re not picture-perfect, they’ll still taste sublime. And it’s a good excuse to take a research jaunt to Ladurée before you make your next batch.

Ingredients

130 gm pure icing sugar

110 gm almond meal

105 gm eggwhite (about 2), at room temperature, left out overnight

65 gm caster sugar

4-5 drops rose food colouring

White chocolate and raspberry ganache

50 ml pouring cream

100 gm white chocolate

45 gm raspberries, coarsely chopped

Method

1.Process icing sugar and almond meal in a food processor until finely ground, triple-sift into a large bowl and set aside. Whisk 90gm eggwhite in an electric mixer until soft peaks form (1-2 minutes). Add caster sugar, a tablespoon at a time, whisking continuously until incorporated and mixture is thick and glossy (2-3 minutes), then add food colouring. Stir in almond mixture in batches until incorporated and mixture slowly slides down sides of bowl when bowl is tilted. Add remaining eggwhite to loosen mixture, spoon into a piping bag with a 1cm plain nozzle, pipe 3cm-diameter rounds of mixture onto heavy baking-paper-lined oven trays, stand until a crust begins to form (4-5 hours).

2.Preheat oven to 140C. Bake macarons until firm but not coloured, swapping trays halfway through cooking (10-12 minutes), set aside, cool completely on trays.

3.Meanwhile, for white chocolate and raspberry ganache, bring cream just to the boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat, add chocolate, stand until melted (5 minutes), stir until smooth and glossy. Refrigerate until firm yet still pliable (45 minutes-1 hour) then stir until smooth. Add raspberries, stir to form a ripple effect, then spoon a teaspoon of ganache onto half the macarons. Sandwich with remaining macarons and refrigerate until set. Macarons will keep for 1-2 days refrigerated in an airtight container.

If fresh raspberries are unavailable, substitute defrosted frozen raspberries.
Notes

The Gourmet Traveller Team

Gourmet Traveller is Australia’s trusted authority on food, travel and luxury lifestyle, bringing the latest news and trends to life through quality journalism, enticing recipes and evocative photography. For more than 55 years, it has been inspiring and informing Australians with the best in cooking, dining, travelling and shopping. Our critics bring the expertise of years of critical eating, drinking and writing to the table. Plus, as the country’s leading title in the luxury sector, Gourmet Traveller works closely with Australia’s leaders in the travel and hospitality industries to give our readers exclusive access. The Gourmet Traveller legacy is one of trust, prestige and relevance.

Styling by Emma Knowles

Ingredients

Method

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