Cassis macarons

Blackcurrant-coloured macarons filled with a silky blackcurrant curd enriched with Crème de Cassis liqueur. The vibrant and sweet purple shells contrast beautifully with the lightly tangy filling, creating a perfect balance of sweetness and fruitiness. Homemade macarons that taste even better than the ones you’ll find in France – what more could you ask for?

These macarons are made using the Italian meringue method. They have delicate almond-meringue shells with crisp tops, characteristic “feet”, and soft, chewy centres.

Makes about 30 assembled macarons (or about 40 mini macarons).

Ingredients for the macaron shells:

• 150 g ground almonds
• 150 g icing sugar
• 120 g egg whites, divided into 60 g + 60 g, at room temperature
• 185 g caster sugar, divided into 150 g + 35 g
• 50 ml water
• gel or paste food colouring (I used Wilton Burgundy with a little Wilton Violet)

Place the ground almonds and icing sugar into a food processor and process for about 2 minutes, until thoroughly combined. Sift through a very fine sieve into a large bowl, discarding any larger pieces of almond. Replace them with the same amount of freshly ground almonds (usually about 1 teaspoon). Add 60 g of the egg whites and mix thoroughly to form a paste. Add the food colouring and mix again. The mixture should be a fairly intense colour, as the remaining egg whites will lighten it later.

Place the remaining 60 g of egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer. The bowl must be perfectly clean, dry and free from any traces of grease.

Measure out the remaining 35 g of sugar and keep it nearby. Place 150 g of the sugar and the water into a small saucepan, stir once and bring to the boil. Insert a sugar thermometer and cook over medium heat, without stirring, until the syrup reaches 118°C. When the syrup reaches about 100°C, begin whisking the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Towards the end of whisking, gradually add the reserved 35 g of sugar while continuing to whisk. Once the syrup reaches 118°C, immediately remove it from the heat and slowly pour it into the whisking egg whites in a thin, steady stream. Reduce the mixer speed while pouring so that the syrup falls into the meringue rather than onto the sides of the bowl. Once all the syrup has been added, increase the speed to maximum and whisk for 5–8 minutes, until the Italian meringue is glossy and completely cool.

Fold the Italian meringue into the almond paste in three additions, mixing gently but thoroughly after each addition. The batter will gradually become looser. It is ready when it flows slowly from the spatula in a thick, glossy ribbon. This is the most important stage of making Italian meringue macarons. If the batter is overmixed, the shells will spread too much; if undermixed, they will remain too thick and won’t develop smooth tops.

Line baking trays with Teflon baking mats or baking paper (you’ll need at least three trays). Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a plain round nozzle. Hold the piping bag vertically and pipe circles about 3 cm in diameter (or 2 cm for mini macarons), leaving plenty of space between them.

Leave the piped macarons to dry. When lightly touched, they should no longer feel sticky and should have developed a thin skin. Drying time depends on the humidity and usually takes 20–60 minutes (mine took 60 minutes). Do not leave them any longer than necessary, as the skin may become too thick.

Bake with the fan oven at 160°C for 12–15 minutes (mini macarons require less time). The shells should not brown. If they do, reduce the oven temperature and bake a little longer. Remove from the oven and leave the shells to cool completely on the baking mats or paper before carefully peeling them off.

Sandwich the cooled shells with the blackcurrant curd.

Ingredients for blackcurrant curd:

• 250 g blackcurrants (fresh or frozen)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 egg yolks, from large eggs
• 70 g caster sugar
• 80 g butter
• 2 tablespoons Crème de Cassis liqueur

Place the blackcurrants and sugar into a small saucepan. Bring to the boil and cook briefly until the fruit releases its juices and begins to break down. Press the mixture through a sieve to remove the seeds and obtain a smooth purée. Leave to cool slightly.

Return the purée to the saucepan. Add the eggs and egg yolks, then whisk until combined. Add the butter and the Crème de Cassis. Cook gently over a low heat, stirring constantly, until the curd thickens and becomes smooth. Transfer to a sterilised jar, seal tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Note: This recipe makes a little more curd than is needed for the macarons (about 375 ml).

Storage:

Unfilled macaron shells can be stored in an airtight container for up to 7 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. They can also be frozen for up to 1 month. Once filled, store the macarons in the refrigerator.

They taste best after a few hours, once the filling has softened the shells slightly.

Enjoy!