Black Currant Macarons

So, I finally tried out a new method for macarons - the one using Italian (or Swiss?) meringue. That means you cook sugar and water to a specific temperature, and whisk into foamy egg whites to make a really shiny meringue. The method is a bit fiddlier than my usual one and the macarons themselves are slightly different.

-no need for room temperature egg whites
-they're whiter and shinier, probably because the meringue itself is, too.
-the batter is a little stiffer, making it a bit easier to pipe
-they dried a bit faster before baking
-I baked them for a slightly shorter time, and a slightly warmer oven than I usually do - about 160°C for 10 minutes.
-They all got feet, but some were a little lopsided.

For the filling, the only hard part is making the black currant purée, but it's worth the effort! I'll share that, but not the recipe for the shells - it needs some perfecting.

 Black Currant Macarons

Black Currant filling:
about 100 g black currants, fresh or thawed - enough to yield 50 g purée
2 tbsp cream
125 g white chocolate, finely chopped
2 tsp honey

Make the purée - finely mix the black currants and press through a sieve. Make sure you have 50 g of purée.

Mix the purée with the cream, chocolate and honey in a saucepan. Heat gently and stir to combine. Pour into a piping bag and cool until it's thick enough to pipe. (Count on a few hours for this step.)