Lavender Macarons with Chocolate Honey Ganache

Another macaron attempt! It went very well this time as well - I really feel like I'm getting the hang of this! Not only is it great fun, but they taste so good. I served these for Titus' baptism party along with lots of other goodies, and they were extremely popular. I really liked the combination of the floral lavender flavor with the bitterness of the chocolate, tempered by the sweetness of the honey. White chocolate ganache would also have been nice!

Lavender Macarons with Chocolate Honey Ganache
18-20 filled cookies
(printable recipe)

3 egg whites, at room temperature
2 tbsp caster sugar (or in my case, homemade vanilla sugar)
200 g powdered sugar
110 g almonds, blanched
1/2 tbsp dried lavender
violet food coloring (I use Wiltons gel colors)

160 g dark chocolate
100 ml double cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp runny honey

Combine powdered sugar, lavender and almonds in your food processor, and grind until very fine. Sieve. Re-grind any lumps or big pieces of almonds. Mix carefully (they tend to separate a little bit when sieving, since the sugar falls through first.)

Beat egg whites and sugar until you have a thick, glossy meringue. Don't overbeat. Stir in the almond-sugar powder, and fold together along with the food coloring. Don't overmix this - most seem to say that you should use less than 50 strokes. (You can try it by dolloping a little batter on a baking sheet - if the peak falls down, it's ready. If it doesn't, try a few more strokes.)

Pipe small rounds on a baking sheet with baking paper. If you'd like, sprinkle some extra ground almonds on half of them. Leave at room temperature for 30-60 minutes, to form a skin.

Bake at 150°C for 15-20 minutes. (I have a convection oven, and 15 minutes was perfect for me.) Let them cool completely before filling. Unused shells can be frozen, or kept in an air-tight container for a day or so.

Chocolate Honey Ganache:

Chop the chocolate and place in a bowl. Mix cream and honey in a small saucepan and heat until just about boiling. Pour this over the chocolate and stir until smooth. Add a pinch of salt. Let the ganache cool until it's thick enough to spread - you can speed this up by placing it in the fridge for a while. If it gets too thick, it can be heated gently in the microwave until it's the right consistency. Spread some on half of the macaron shells, top with the rest, and press down gently. Keep cookies in fridge for a few days, freeze or eat right away!

Recipe in Swedish:
Lavendelmacarons med chokladganache