chocolate hazelnut macaroons

Ingredients:

for the macaron shells:
300g almond flour
300g icing sugar
60g cocoa
110g egg whites
300 ml strong coffee
1 tsp vanilla extract
300g caster sugar
75ml water

for the chocolate hazelnut ganache
400g milk chocolate, finely chopped
200g double cream
50g unsalted butter
100g nutella

Method:
to make the macaron shells:
1.line 4-6 trays with baking paper
2.sift the almond flour, icing sugar, cocoa in a bowl and mix well
3.pour 110g egg whites, the coffee and vanilla over the dry ingredients, do not mix, set aside.
4. make an Italian meringue, put the remaining 110g egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment, do not turn on. put the caster sugar and water in a small saucepan and stir, place over a medium heat and heat until the mixture reached about 110 C, turn the egg whites onto a high speed and whip until they form soft peaks, the sugar should be 115 C at this stage. when the sugar reaches that temperature, turn off the heat and whilst the egg whites are still beating on high, pour the sugar syrup in, very slowly, into the eggs, aim for a point in between the side of the side of the bowl and the moving whisk.

5. fold in the Italian meringue into the almond mixture in three batches.
6. spoon into a piping bag fitted with a round nozzle and pipe small 1 inch rounds of mixture onto the lined trays. allow a little room for spreading. tap each tray onto the bench a few times, hard to remove all the air bubbles.
7. set the tays of macarons aside for about 30 minutes so they can develop a skin,meanwhile preheat oven to 180 C.
8. bake the macarons for 11-12 minutes, opening the door at the 8 minute mark and the 10 minute mark, in order to let out any steam, if they grow and develop little "feet", they ahave worked, they are ready when you can gently lift one off the tray without leaving its foot behind.

for the ganache ( chocolate and hazelnut):
1. place finely chopped chocolate into a heatproof bowl,
2. in a small saucepan, bring the cream to the boil and pour it over the chocolate.
3. set aside for 2-3 minutes, then stir until all chocolates melted.
4. set in the fridge till the ganache firms up
5. add the butter and Nutella to the ganache and use a stick blender to blitz the mixture until light and fluffy.

finals stage:
1. match the macaron shells up so they have partners of similar size, upturn one shell of each pair of macarons.
2. spoon the ganache into a piping bag, fitted with a medium round nozzle.
3. pipe a little ganache onto the centre of each upturned macaron. sandwich together with its partner.

keep refrigerated

Happy baking :)!