Heavenly Hazelnut Macarons

Allergens

Nuts, Dairy

Ingredients

• 100g almond flour (gluten
• free)
• 110g powdered sugar
• 85g egg whites
• 25g granulated sugar
• 35g hazelnut meal
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 2 drops almond extract
• A pinch of salt
• 60g dark chocolate (70% cocoa)
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• Edible gold flakes for decoration

Instructions

1. Prepare a piping bag fitted with a round tip and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a food processor, combine almond flour, powdered sugar, hazelnut meal, and a pinch of salt. Process until well combined.
3. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until foamy, then add granulated sugar and cream of tartar. Continue beating until stiff peaks form. Add almond extract.
4. Carefully fold the dry ingredients into the beaten egg whites, in two parts, using a rubber spatula. Mix until the batter forms a "figure eight" when piped from the bag.
5. Transfer the batter to the prepared piping bag and pipe small rounds onto the parchment paper. Tap the baking sheets on the counter to release any air bubbles and let them rest for 20 minutes at room temperature.
6. Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Bake the macarons for 15 17 minutes or until they form feet and are slightly firm on top. Cool completely before filling.
7. To prepare the ganache, heat heavy cream in a saucepan over low heat until it begins to steam. Remove from heat, add chopped dark chocolate, and let it sit for a minute. Stir gently until smooth. Let it cool and thicken slightly.
8. Pipe or spread a small amount of ganache onto the flat side of one macaron shell, then sandwich with another shell, pressing gently. Decorate with edible gold flakes.

Chef’s Insight

The key to perfect macarons is beating the egg whites to the right consistency and folding the dry ingredients gently into them.

Notes

Adjust baking time and temperature according to your oven.