Makes: 12 – 15
For valentines day this year why not treat your loved ones to a delicious dessert. Here is a show stopping chocolate and orange macaron recipe. A delicious French twist on a British classic.
Ingredients
- 125g ground almonds
- 250g icing sugar
- 3 egg whites
- 8g sachet dried egg white powder
- 25g caster sugar
- 1 tsp dark cocoa powder
- 1 small orange zest, finely grated
- orange gel food colouring
For the filling
- 4 tbsp Bonne Maman Hazelnut Chocolate Spread
- 2 tbsp Bonne Maman Bitter Orange Marmalade
Directions
1Preheat oven to 190°c (fan oven 170°c), gas mark 5. Line 2-3 baking sheets with non-stick baking parchment and set aside.
2Place the ground almonds and icing sugar together in the bowl of a food processor or blender and whizz together for about 5 seconds.
3Put the egg whites and dried egg white powder into a large, clean bowl and whisk together until they form stiff peaks. Gradually whisk in the caster sugar until the mixture is very thick and shiny.
4With a large metal spoon, quickly fold the almond and icing sugar into the meringue until evenly blended.
5Divide the mixture into two. Fold the cocoa powder into one half. Fold the orange zest and a drop of the gel food colouring into the other half.
6Using one flavour at a time, spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1 cm (½ inch) nozzle. Pipe rounds about 3.5 cm (1 ½ inch) in diameter onto the lined baking sheets, leaving the same amount of space between each one. You should get at least 15 rounds with each flavour. Set them aside for 15 minutes to allow the macarons to form a crust on top.
7Bake in the preheated oven for about 5 minutes or until the base has set. Then, using a palette knife, gently ease the macarons off the paper and flip them over to bake the underside. Bake for a further 5 minutes, then leave to cool on a wire rack.
8Spread the chocolate macarons with the Hazelnut Chocolate Spread. Spread the orange macarons with the marmalade and sandwich the two together. Eat within 2 hours.
