Choc Mint Macarons Ingredients: 75g ground almonds (almond meal) 115g icing (powdered sugar) 2 large egg

arge egg whites 50g white sugar 1 teaspoon peppermint essence few drops green food colouring 150g thickened cream 200g dark chocolate

Method: Chop chocolate and transfer into a bowl Heat cream until it simmers (do not allow it to boil) Pour cream over the chocolate Let it sit for one minute then stir until combined Let is cool in the fridge From time to time, mix it well to cool it evenly to a piping consistency Line 2 baking trays with baking paper Put the ground almonds and icing sugar together into a fine mesh sieve and then sieve into a medium bowl Place the egg whites into a large, clean bowl and then whisk to soft peaks Gradually add the white sugar to the egg whites, beating to make a firm, glossy meringue Whisk in the peppermint essence and enough food colouring to make the mixture bright green Using a spatula, fold in the almond/icing sugar mixture a third at a time Once the almond mixture is combined with the meringue, keep folding until the batter forms a thick ribbon when dropped from the spatula Spoon into a piping bag with a plain nozzle attached Pipe 32 small rounds onto the prepared baking trays Leave the piped rounds to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes Meanwhile, heat your oven to 160C/140C Bake the macarons for 10-15 minutes then remove from the oven and leave to sit on the trays for 10 minutes Carefully take the macarons off the baking paper and place on a wire rack to cool completely Once cooled, use the chocolate frosting to sandwich the macarons together Serve and enjoy!