Passionfruit, Basil and White Chocolate Macarons
For macaron shell
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220g egg whites
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500g caster sugar
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150g water
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1200g Tant Pour Tant (600g almond meal, 600g sifted icing sugar)
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200g egg whites
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food colouring (optional, Zumbo uses Americolor food colouring)
For passionfruit, basil and white chocolate ganache
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1500g white chocolate
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85g basil leaves
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665g passionfruit juice
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480g butter
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You will also need a food processor, saucepans, electric mixer, baking parchment, sugar thermometer, piping bag and 1cm tip, baking sheets (this recipe makes about 120 filled macarons) and you double up the baking sheets
Step 1 - A day or two prior to making the macarons, you may want to infuse the white chocolate with the basil leaves by vacuum sealing them in a vacuum or zip lock bag together.
Step 2 - Make a sugar syrup to add to 220g of the egg whites. Add water to a saucepan and then add 500grams of caster sugar on top and food colouring (if using) and then boil without stirring until you reach the soft ball stage at 112C/234F degrees. Start whipping the egg whites until you get soft peaks and then carefully pour in the syrup and whip until the temperature reaches 50C.
Step 3 - Mix the other lot of egg whites (200g) with the TPT and mix the meringue mixture with the TPT mixture slapping it against the sides of the bowl to deflate it. It is ready when any peaks or lines do not hold. Using a plain 1cm tip, pipe 1 inch circles onto a lined baking sheet (ensure that the baking parchment sticks to the baking sheet by spraying it with non stick spray). Allow to rest and form a skin * see tip above about doing this in humid weather.
Step 4 - Meanwhile make the ganache filling. Melt the chocolate over a double boiler (i.e. in a heatproof proof over a saucepan of simmering water ensuring that the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl). Heat the passionfruit juice in a saucepan. Process the melted white chocolate in a food processor so that the basil leaves become shredded. Once the chocolate is blitzed and the passionfruit juice is hot, add the juice to the chocolate in the food processor to create a more liquidey mixture.
Step 5 - Pass this chocolate and passionfruit liquid through a sieve catching all of the basil pieces. Once the ganache has reached 55C add it into the chocolate mixture ensuring that they are thoroughly mixed in and the mixture is smooth. Refrigerate.
Step 6 - Preheat oven to 150C/300F. Check that a skin has formed on the macaron shell so that when you touch it, it doesn't stick to your fingers. Slide an additional baking sheet under the one with the macarons on it and bake in the oven for 18 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. Then pair similarly sized macaron halves.
Step 7 - Place the buttercream in a piping bag and pipe onto one half of the macaron and sandwich the other half together. Place in fridge to allow the flavour from the buttercream to absorb into the shell (about 48 hours approximately).