Hi my name is Kate and I have an addiction – to speckled eggs! I buy a bag, okay maybe two, and then I scoff them on the way home so I don’t have to share. You may or may not find a bunch of scrumpled up bags in my car’s cubbyhole. Always get rid of the evidence, right? As a tribute to my obsession, I paired them with another of my obsessions; baking macarons. They are by far my favourite thing to make in the whole world! I love the challenge they present and I still get ridiculously excited when they make feet – and yes, I do sit in front of my oven and watch them bake every single time – even after all these years! Just a warning though, when buying a bag of speckled eggs for this recipe, make sure to buy two because, like me, you will not be able to resist digging into the bag and before you know it, there are none left! If you’ve never tried macarons before, I challenge you to try this recipe – it is the only one that has never let me down! Happy Easter! x

Speckled Easter Egg Macarons

Makes 12

 

120g ground almonds

200g Natura Sugars Demerara Icing Sugar

100g egg whites (about 3 large eggs)

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

35g Natura Sugars Golden Caster Sugar

Pastel food colourings

Brown gel colouring

 

Dark chocolate ganache

110ml cream

250g The Kate Tin Milk Baking Chocolate, chopped

 

100g speckled eggs, chopped (plus extra for nibbling!)

 

Line 2-3 baking sheets with baking paper. Sift together the ground almonds and icing sugar to remove any clumps. Blend any leftover mixture in a food processor then sift again until nothing remains.  Begin beating the egg whites and cream of tartar on low speed. Once the egg whites are very foamy, start sprinkling in the sugar as you beat. Increase the speed to medium, if necessary, and beat the meringue to stiff glossy peaks. Add about 1/4 of the almond/sugar mixture and fold until no streaks remain. Continue to add the almond mixture in quarters, folding until incorporated. Carefully divide the batter among 3 bowls and tint each a different colour, being careful not to overmix. The batter should be the consistency of molten lava. Pour the batter into a piping bag fitted with a straight nozzle and pipe rows of batter onto the baking sheets, giving them space to spread. Drop the baking sheet firmly on the counter from a height of about 20cm firmly, repeat 3 times. Allow the cookies to rest on a level surface at room temperature for 30-60 minutes until they are no longer tacky to a light touch. While they rest, place an oven rack in the lower 3rd of your oven and preheat to 150C (fan-forced). Bake the cookies for 16-20 minutes. If the tops are firm and no longer move away from the bottoms, then they are ready.

Make the ganache by heating the cream and pouring over the chocolate. Stir until melted then allow to set until spreadable. Sandwich the macarons together with the ganache and crushed speckled eggs. Speckle with brown gel colouring using a pastry brush.