Hot Cross Bun Macarons

Method

For the macaron shells:
Line 4 – 6 trays with baking paper.
Sift the almond meal and icing sugar into a large bowl and mix well with the ground cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.
Pour 110g egg whites, the coffee and vanilla over the dry ingredients. Do not mix. Set aside.
Make an Italian meringue. Put the remaining 110g egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Do not turn on.
Put the caster sugar and water in a small saucepan and stir. Place over a medium heat and fit with a candy thermometer.
Watch the sugar as it boils. When the mixture reaches about 110 C, turn the egg whites onto a high speed. Whip these until they form very soft peaks. The sugar should be 115 C at this stage.
When the sugar reaches 115 C, turn off the heat. While the egg whites are still beating on high, pour the sugar syrup, very slowly, into the eggs. Aim for a point in between the side of the bowl and the moving whisk. Continue to beat until the mixture cools (feel it through the bowl).
Fold the Italian meringue into the almond meal mixture in three batches, until well incorporated and smooth.
Spoon into a piping bag fitted with medium round nozzle and pipe small 1 inch rounds of mixture onto the lined trays, allowing a little room for spreading. Tap each tray onto the bench a few times to remove air bubbles. Repeat until all the mixture is used.
Set the trays of macarons aside for about 30 minutes so they can develop a skin. Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F).
Bake the macarons for 11 – 12 minutes, opening the door at the 8 minute mark and the 10 minute mark, in order to let out any steam. If they grow and develop little “feet”, they have worked. They are ready when you can gently lift one off the tray without leaving its foot behind.
Set the macarons aside to cool completely.
Once the macarons are cool, melt the white chocolate in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring in each interval, until smooth.
Spoon it into a piping bag or zip lock bag, snip a tiny bit off the end and pipe crosses across all the macarons shells.
Set them aside to allow the chocolate to set while you make the filling.
For the hot cross bun filling:
Firstly, make a custard base.
Mix together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt in a small bowl. In a large heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and vanilla. Whisk the flour mixture to the egg yolks one tablespoon at a time. It will be thick and pasty. Set aside.
Pour the milk into a medium saucepan and add the orange zest. Put it over a high heat and scald the milk – heat until bubbles appear around the edges, but it is not boiling.
Pour the milk into the egg mixture slowly, whisking continuously. Once it is all incorporated, pour it back into the saucepan and heat over a medium heat. Whisk continuously and vigorously until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Continue to cook it for 10 seconds, and then turn off the heat.
Transfer the custard to a large bowl. Stir in the sultanas. Cover the custard with cling film, pressing it directly onto the surface, and place it in the fridge until it cools completely.
Meanwhile, make a white chocolate ganache.
Place the chopped white chocolate in a large heatproof bowl.
In a small saucepan, heat the cream until it comes to the boil. Pour it over the white chocolate and let it stand for two minutes before stirring until well combined.
Add the soft butter and whisk well to incorporate. If you have any lumps, blitz with a stick mixer. Set aside to cool.
Once the custard and ganache are both cool, mix them together.
To assemble the macarons:
Match the macaron shells up so they have partners of similar size. Upturn one shell of each pair of macarons.
Spoon the hot cross bun filling into a piping bag fitted with a medium round nozzle.
Pipe a little filling, around 1 - 2 teaspoons, onto the center of each upturned macaron. Sandwich it together with its partner.
Keep refrigerated. Makes 50 – 60 macarons.
Happy Baking!

Hot Cross Bun Macarons

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