HAZELNUT MACARON GANACHE CAKE

Recipe adapted from The White Whisk: Chocolate Macarons, and Macaron Cake

Ingredients:

Macarons:

188 g hazelnut flour

188 g confectioner's sugar

24 g unsweetened cocoa powder (0.5 g fat per T)

130 g egg whites (approx. 4 eggs)

130 g granulated sugar

1/2 t cream of tartar

Ganache:

7 oz heavy cream

4 oz chocolate, chopped into small pieces

1/2 t salt

1 t vanilla

Method:

Macarons:

Draw 4 6" circles on the back of pieces of parchment paper, leaving a few inches between each circle.  Turn papers right side up and place on baking sheets.

Prepare a piping bag with a large opening.

Sift the hazelnut flour, confectioner's sugar and cocoa together in a large bowl.

Place egg whites, granulated sugar and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, and whisk on medium low for 2 minutes.  Turn up to medium and whisk for 2 minutes.  Raise speed to medium high and whisk for 10 minutes, or until meringue is very stiff and holds a peak, with the meringue beginning to ball up inside the whisk. 

Pour half the dry mixture into the stand mixer bowl and fold 15 times. 

Pour in the second half and fold 30 times, or until the surface evens out with a few moments of shaking. 

Place the batter into the piping bag and pipe the 6" cake layers. If batter remains, pipe a few 1.5" macaron shells on a separate tray. 

Once all layers are piped, bang the sheets on the counter a few times.  Set them aside to dry on the outside, this usually takes ~ 20 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 300°F.  Now is a good time to make the ganache, as detailed below.

Place sheets in the oven and bake 18 minutes (1.5" macarons will require less time), then start checking for doneness by pressing lightly on the side of a shell, just above the feet.  If there's any movement, bake for another minute and check again. 

Remove from oven and allow shells to cool completely before removing from parchment paper. 

Ganache:

Heat the cream and salt to steaming in a small pan and place the chocolate in the bowl of the stand mixer, with the whisk attachment attached.  

Pour the cream over the chocolate and leave for 5 minutes.  

Add the vanilla and whisk until smooth.  Place in the fridge for 15 minutes, until cool but not yet solid. Remove from fridge, then beat on medium speed until peaks form.

Pipe between cooled layers of macaron cake, refrigerate for 24 hours, and serve.