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| Chocolate Macaron Shells: Makes 60 225 g pure icing sugar 140 g almond meal 2 tablespoons cocoa 110 g egg whites, at room temperature  Chamomile Macarons. Line two baking trays with baking paper or silicon baking mats. Combine the icing sugar, almond meal and cocoa, and sift together twice, discarding anything remaining in the sieve. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold the sifted sugar, almond meal and cocoa into the egg whites, continuing to fold until the mixture is glossy and moves slowly when the bowl is tilted. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 5mm plain piping nozzle. Pipe rounds 3 cm in diameter onto the baking tray, spacing them 2-3 cm apart. (The mixture will spread after piping so make the rounds slightly smaller than you want your shells to be.) Tap the tray firmly on the bench a couple of times to knock out any air bubbles. The macaron shells must now stand at room temperature until a crust forms — this will take 2-6 hours, depending on the temperature and humidity of the room. (The warmer and less humid the room, the faster the drying process.) When they are ready you should be able to touch one lightly and have no mixture stick to your finger. Preheat oven to 150°C. Place macaron shells into the oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 130°C. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and cool completely on the baking tray. Filling: Makes 30 150 g x 70% dark chocolate, chopped 150 ml pouring cream Melt the chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave. (If using the microwave, heat the chocolate for 20 seconds at a time, stirring between bursts.) Pour the cream into a small saucepan and heat until hot, then pour it over the chocolate and stir until smooth. Refrigerate the filling for 30 minutes or until firm enough to hold its shape. Spoon or pipe the filling onto half the macaron shells, then sandwich with the remaining shells. From: Macaron. By Alison Thompson. Published by Penguin. 
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