Rich and chocolatey with spicy notes in the biscuit and herby notes in the ganache. These chocolate macaroons are crunchy on the outside and chewy in the middle. Indeed, they're totally scrumptious with their contrasting textures and flavours. Well worth making for a special occasion.
Whisk the egg whites until nearly stiff, then add the sugar and whisk until completely stiff, but not dry.
2 large egg whites, 12 g golden caster sugar
Sift in the dry ingredients, then fold into the egg whites as gently as you can so as not to deflate the eggs too much.
12 g cocoa powder, 65 g ground almonds, 125 g icing sugar, 1 pinch ground star anise
Spoon teaspoonfuls onto the trays, placing them well apart as they will spread. I get 22.
Leave for 20 minutes to form a skin. This is apparently meant to eradicate cracking, but it's never done it for me. Luckily I like the cracked look and hopefully you do to.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180℃ (350℉, Gas 4) for 12 minutes. They should be dry on top, but still chewy underneat.
Remove from the tray with a spatula and leave them to cool on a wire rack.
Milk Chocolate Ganache
Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a pan suspended over hot, but not boiling water, with the cream, butter and rosemary.
75 g milk chocolate, 5 tbsp double cream (heavy cream), 20 g unsalted butter, 1 sprig fresh rosemary
Once melted, remove from the heat and gently stir from the inside out until all is melted and smooth.
Fish out the rosemary and beat with a wooden spoon until it's thick enough to spread. Alternatively use electric beaters.
Take generous teaspoonfuls and sandwich the macaroons together. I end up with 11 fairly substantial biscuits.
Notes
For extra notes of rosemary, warm the cream and rosemary in a pan and leave to infuse. Strain the cream before using as per the recipe.Please note: calories are per serving. They’re approximate and will depend on exact ingredients used.