Macarons à la Rose (Hazelnut Base)

Macarons à la Rose

I used to go to La Durée in Paris to buy their macarons and they do tend to cost quite a bit though well worth the money. Over here, with no macarons in sight, one has to apply oneself so that's how you found me slaving over those sweet and caloric pastries recently.

Macarons are almond-based traditionally but as I often prefer hazelnuts to almonds, I've decided to make this batch with the former to see how they would turn out. Not as smooth as they would have been with almonds, but the texture was pleasant and the macaron just as tasty.

I wanted to use my stock of rose water so I've decided to flavour them à la rose.

The Macarons :

3 Egg Whites (separated from the yolks and kept in the fridge for 3-4 days)

2oog Icing Sugar

125g finely ground Hazelnuts (normally one'd use Almonds)

30g Castor Sugar

Red Food Colouring

Rose Water

The Filling :

120g White Chocolate

Rose Water

Lychee Juice

Beat egg whites till stiff, adding in the castor sugar gradually along the way. Mix in the food colouring and rose water. If it wouldn't become stiff, try adding some lemon juice (but usually no reason why it wouldn't become stiff).

In your mixer, mix the icing sugar with the finely ground nuts and sift them well into a bowl.

Mix the sugar-nut mixture into the egg mixture with a spatula. The mixture has to be smooth, bright and a little limp

Pipe out well-spaced small rounds on baking paper placed on a tray that will go into the oven. Leave it in the open overnight so that the surface of the macaron pastry rounds will dry out and harden.

Heat up the oven at 150ºC and bake the macarons for 10-13 minutes. If possible, bake them with 1-2 empty trays stacked below to ensure that the macarons will rise and yet not be over-cooked on the inside.

For the filling as for the macarons, the possibilities are endless. This time round, I made it by melting white chocolate and mixing it well with some juice and rose water and then letting the mixture stiffen before making macaron sandwiches with it.

Best to leave the macarons in the fridge for a few hours before consuming them.