- 340g/12oz icing sugar
- 120g/4½oz ground almonds
- 200g/7oz roasted, skinned hazelnuts
- 240g/9oz free-range egg whites (from about 4 medium eggs)
- 100ml/3½fl oz water
- 320g/11½oz granulated sugar
- 2 tsp chestnut gel food colouring
- 480ml/17fl oz double cream
- 440g/1lb dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 100g/3½oz unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- 400g/14oz roasted skinned hazelnuts, chopped
- 340g/12oz icing sugar
- 320g/11½oz ground almonds
- 240g/9oz egg whites (from about 4 medium eggs)
- 100ml/3½fl oz water
- 320g/11½oz granulated sugar
- 2 tsp powdered raspberry food colouring
- 240ml/9fl oz double cream
- 220g/8oz dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 50g/2oz unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- 150g/5½oz raspberry jam
- Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2.
- Line four large baking trays with greaseproof paper. (A clever thing to do is to have a template with evenly spaced circles that you can slip under the greaseproof paper when piping the macaroons; then you can just slide it out when you are finished and re-use it.)
- For the chestnut macaroons, blend the icing sugar, ground almonds and hazelnuts together in a food processor until really smooth.
- Whisk the egg whites in a bowl until stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed.
- Meanwhile, heat the water and sugar in a saucepan until it reaches 118C/240F (check this with a sugar thermometer).
- Whisk the egg whites again and slowly add the sugar syrup. Continue whisking until stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed.
- Fold in the almond mixture until smooth (be careful not to overmix), then stir in the chestnut food colouring. Spoon the mixture into piping bags and pipe 4cm/1½in rounds onto the baking trays.
- The macaroons must stand for at least 20 minutes before going into the oven as it helps to form a skin. Bake for 13-15 minutes. (You may need to do this in batches, but the macaroons can rest for 1-2 hours.)
- Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Carefully peel the macaroons off the greaseproof paper.
- For the ganache filling, heat the double cream in a saucepan until just boiling, then remove from the heat. Pour the cream over the chopped chocolate and stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Stir in the butter and chopped hazelnuts. Spoon the ganache into piping bags and set aside to cool.
- Pipe a small amount of ganache onto half of the macaroons and sandwich together with the remaining macaroons.
- For the raspberry macaroons, line four large baking trays with greaseproof paper. (A clever thing to do is to have a template with evenly spaced circles that you can slip under the greaseproof paper when piping the macaroons; then you can just slide it out when you are finished and re-use it.)
- Blend the icing sugar and ground almonds together in a food processor until really smooth.
- Whisk the egg whites in a bowl until stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed.
- Meanwhile, heat the water and sugar in a saucepan until it reaches 118C/240F (check this with a sugar thermometer).
- Whisk the egg whites again and slowly add the sugar syrup. Continue whisking until stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed.
- Fold in the almond mixture until smooth (be careful not to overmix), then fold in the raspberry food colouring. Spoon the mixture into piping bags and pipe 4cm/1½in rounds onto the baking trays.
- The macaroons must stand for at least 20 minutes before going into the oven as it helps to form a skin. Bake for 13-15 minutes. (You may need to do this in batches, but the macaroons can rest for 1-2 hours.)
- Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Carefully peel the macaroons off the greaseproof paper.
- For the raspberry ganache filling, heat the double cream in a saucepan until just boiling, then remove from the heat. Pour the cream over the chopped chocolate and stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Stir in the butter and raspberry jam. Spoon the ganache into piping bags and set aside to cool.
- Pipe a small amount of ganache onto half of the macaroons and sandwich together with the remaining macaroons.
- To create the macaroon tower, cover the foam cone with craft paper. Insert toothpicks all over the foam cone in a regular pattern, with 1cm/½in of each toothpick sticking out. Carefully push the macaroons onto the toothpicks until the entire cone is covered.