Ingredients
Macaron halves
(makes 100)
Ground almonds 500 g
Icing sugar 500 g
Egg whites 185 g
Caster sugar 500 g
Water 125 g
(or just enough to cover the sugar in the saucepan)
Egg whites 185 g
Natural pastel yellow colouring (optional)
Yuzu Ganache
Ivory-type white chocolate 625 g
Full-fat single cream 625 g
Léonce Blanc yuzu purée 150 g
Unsalted butter 250 g
Preparation
Macaron halves
Combine the ground almonds and icing sugar in the mixer bowl without heating for around 30 seconds.
Sift with a 1.6mm sieve.
In a thick-bottomed saucepan, combine the caster sugar and the water. Heat over a medium heat. Check the temperature.
While the sugar is cooking, pour the egg whites in the mixer bowl.
When the sugar reaches 114°C, beat the egg whites on the fastest speed.
When the sugar reaches 118°C, remove the saucepan from the heat.
Reduce the mixer speed and carefully pour the sugar down the side of the mixer bowl.
Add the colouring if using, spreading it around the mixture.
Beat the mixture on the fastest speed until the meringue is at about 40°C.
Put the ground almond/icing sugar mixture then the 1st weight of egg whites in a large mixing bowl.
Fold in until smooth with a metal spatula.
Fold in a small quantity of meringue using a spatula, mix well then add the rest of the meringue.
Continue mixing turning the bowl regularly without the mixture becoming too liquid.
Fill your piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle and pipe 4cm macarons on baking paper on a tray.
COOKING :
140°C – Bake for 7 minutes then turn the baking tray round and bake for another 6 to 7 minutes.
Remove the baking paper from the trays and leave the macarons to cool. Turn the paper over onto a tray and remove the baking paper.
Yuzu Ganache
Put the chopped white chocolate in a suitably sized mixing bowl.
Over a low heat, gently warm the whole cream to 85°C.
Pour 1/3 the hot cream on the middle of the chopped chocolate, stirring with a spatula (not a whisk) to create the heart of the ganache (the start of the emulsion).
Slowly pour the 2nd third of the hot cream in, always stirring with the spatula from the centre outwards. Mix well.
Finish with the last third in the same way.
Blend the ganache with a hand blender flat at the very bottom of the mixing bowl to avoid adding any air. Continue blending adding the diced butter and emulsify.
Without stopping the blender, add the Léonce Blanc yuzu purée.
Do not allow the mixture to go above 40°C.
Emulsify. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and film. Refrigerate.
Assembly
Turn over half the macarons sorting by size if necessary.
Soen the ganache using a spatula, then fill a piping bag fitted with an 8mm nozzle.
Pipe a small knob of ganache (around 16g) in the centre of the bottom half of the macaron.
Top with the other half and press down gently.
Immediately pack into air-tight containers or freeze.