Ingredients

• 110g/4oz icing sugar
• 60g/2¼oz ground almonds
• 60g/2¼oz free-range egg whites (2 medium eggs)
• plus 1 free-range egg
• white only
• lightly whisked for slackening the mixture
• pinch cream of tartar
• 40g/1½oz caster sugar
• grape violet gel food colouring
• mint leaves
• finely chopped to decorate
• 200g/7oz white chocolate
• 300g/10½oz blackcurrants
• to yield 100g/3½oz blackcurrant juice
• ½ tsp peppermint essence
• 5 drops raspberry extract
• 1 tbsp black raspberry liqueur

Directions

• Preheat the oven 150C/300F/Gas 2. Blend the icing sugar and almonds in a food processor to a fine powder.
• Whisk the egg whites
• cream of tartar and caster sugar in a stand mixer
• gently at first and gradually increasing the speed
• add a drop of the food colouring just before the soft peak stage is reached
• and continue until the egg whites reach the soft peak stage (the soft peak stage is when the peaks drop slightly when you lift the whisk out of the bowl).
• Sift the flour and almond powder into a separate bowl
• then fold in a third of the meringue. Continue to add until all the meringue is incorporated and looks smooth and glossy. It should behave like it is flowing ‘magma’ when a spoon drags it to the sides of the bowl. Slacken with a teaspoon or two of lightly whipped egg white if this stage is not reached.
• Fill a piping bag with a 2-3mm/1/8in nozzle with the macaroon mixture. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
• Pipe 3cm/1¼in wide circles of mixture onto the parchment
• set 3cm/1¼in apart.
• Tap the tray underneath two or three times to release trapped air in the macaroons and set aside until they are dry to the touch (at least 15 minutes).
• Bake for 13-15 minutes
• until the macaroons can be easily lifted off the parchment with a palate knife. Remove from the oven and set the macaroons to cool on a wire rack.
• To make the ganache
• melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water
• and heat to no more than 45C/113F (use a thermometer to measure this).
• Blend the blackcurrants in a food processor and sieve them. Measure out 100g/3½oz of the juice and bring it to the boil in a small pan. Add the peppermint essence and raspberry extract to the juice.
• Pour the hot juice over the chocolate and stir rapidly until well combined.
• Transfer the ganache to a bowl
• cover with cling film and put in the fridge to cool and thicken.
• Once cooled a little
• transfer the ganache to a piping bag
• and pipe a small amount of ganache
• from the centre outwards
• on one half of the macaroon shells.
• Sandwich the macaroon shell with another to form a pair.
• Chill the macaroons in the fridge to firm up.