Ingredients

• 150g Ground Almonds
• 150g Icing Sugar
• 60g Egg White (approximately 2 large egg whites)
• 150g Caster Sugar
• 50ml Water
• 60g Egg White (approximately 2 large egg whites)
• 2 Tonka Beans

Method

• Place greaseproof paper on a clean flat baking sheet, and set oven to 130˚
• Place ground almonds, icing sugar and first amount of egg white in a bowl and mix to form a paste.
• Grate your tonka bean into the paste mixture and incorporate.
• Place the second amount of egg white into an electric mixer bowl ( TOP TIP - make sure the bowl is clean with no trace of fat as this can cause your meringue to drop)
• In a pan add the caster sugar and water and boil as the sugar starts to reach 115˚c turn on the egg whites in the mixing bowl. Continue to boil the sugar to121˚c.
• Pour sugar in a slow stream down the side of the bowl into the mixing egg whites carefully not to touch the moving whisk. Whisk until bowl is cool and have a shiny peak meringue texture.
• Fold half of the Italian meringue into your almond paste, and then add the remaining half to your paste mixture and fold and beat light once more before placing into a piping bag with a plain nozzle ready to pipe.
• Pipe on to your ready prepared tray, your macarons should be piped to around the same size of a 10p piece.
• Once you have piped whole tray, tap tray on your counter 2 to 3 times to get any air bubbles out of your macarons mix. (TOP TIP – tapping the tray will ensure your macarons spread evenly on your tray and remove any air bubbles in the mix which can cause them to crack.)

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