Macarons

Ingredients

• 150 ml whipping cream
• 1 tbsp honey
• 75 g white couverture chocolate
• 2 drops raspberry syrup
• 60 g peeled almonds
• 2 egg whites (large)
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 125 g powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp ground, dried violet petals
• food coloring (purple)
• 15 fresh violet flowers (for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Boil 50 ml cream in a small saucepan. Stir in honey, remove from heat and let cool to lukewarm. Chop the couverture chocolate and melt it over a double boiler. Remove from heat and pour the cooled cream with the syrup into the melted chocolate. Mix well. Fold in the remaining cream and refrigerate overnight.

2. 2.

   Preheat oven to 140°C (275°F) fan-forced. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

3. 3.

   Pulse almonds in a blender until very fine. Whisk egg whites with lemon juice until frothy, then gradually add powdered sugar while whisking. Continue whipping until a firm, glossy meringue forms, then gently fold in the almonds and violet petals. Color the batter bright purple with a few drops of food coloring. Fill a piping bag fitted with a large round tip with the batter. Pipe about 30 even meringue dots onto the tray and let them dry for about an hour.

4. 4.

   Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, until they are crisp on the outside and still soft inside. Remove from the oven, take off the tray, and cool.

5. 5.

   Whisk the cream into a smooth filling with a hand mixer and fill a piping bag fitted with a small serrated tip. Pipe filling onto half of the macarons, then place the remaining shells on top and press together. Garnish with fresh violet flowers before serving.