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Festive Chocolate Pots with Pistachio Macaroons

If you have a sweet tooth and you want something that is cool, calm and collected this festive season, try these delicious Festive Chocolate Pots with Pistachio Macaroons.

Festive Chocolate Pots Ingredients

200g dark chocolate, chopped, plus extra, shaved, to serve
125 ml milk
2 egg yolks
150 g unsalted butter, chopped, at room temperature
150 g (⅓ cup) caster sugar
24 macaroons

Cook’s notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. All eggs are 55-60g, unless specified.

Standing time 10 minutes

Chilling time 4 hours

Instructions

  1. Place chocolate in a bowl. Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until almost boiling.
  2. Remove from heat and pour over chocolate.
  3. Cover with plastic wrap and stand for 10 minutes or until chocolate is melted.
  4. Stir until combined and set aside to cool, then whisk in egg yolks until combined.
  5. Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and fluffy.
  6. Beat chocolate mixture into the butter mixture, and continue beating for a further 4 minutes or until thick and smooth.
  7. Reserve 12 macaroons to serve. Place the remaining macaroons on a tray.
  8. Divide macaroons among 6 small glasses and then top with mousse.
  9. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until firm.
  10. Crumble over remaining macaroons and serve topped with shaved chocolate.

Pistachio Macaroons

Ingredients:

‘Tant-pour-Tant’ Dough

150g Ground almonds

150g Icing sugar

50g Egg white, room temperature

A pinch of green food colouring, or a smidge of green gel paste colouring

Meringue

120g Granulated sugar

40g Water, room temperature

55g Egg white, room temperature

35g Granulated sugar

Pistachio Ganache Filling

50g ground pistachios

200g good quality white chocolate, chopped finely or grated

150g double cream

Instructions

Macaroon Shells

  1. Sift ground almonds and icing sugar together.
  2. In a saucepan over medium heat boil 120g measure of granulated sugar and water together while simultaneously whisking the 55g measure of the egg whites on medium speed in a stand mixer bowl with a whisk attachment, or carefully with a hand mixer.
  3. When the syrup reaches 100 degrees, pour in the 35g measure of granulated sugar into the whisked egg whites and continue whisking till the syrup reaches 116 degrees.
  4. Once the sugar syrup has reached 116 degrees, reduce the speed of the mixer and pour the syrup down the side of the bowl in a steady but swift stream.
  5. Bring the speed back up to medium to whip into a meringue for up to 8-10 minutes. At this point you have a basic meringue which is ready to be folded into the dough when the bowl has cooled till just warm to the touch and the meringue is stiff and glossy.
  6. Pour the 50g measure of egg whites and the food colour onto the dry almond-icing sugar mix in a mixing bowl and fold in the ingredients just until till they come together as a stiff dough with a spatula.
  7. Fold the meringue in using gentle and firm strokes, scraping from all the sides of the bowl and pulling the spatula through the middle to incorporate all ingredients just till it reaches a smooth and glossy cake-batter like consistency.
  8. Pour 2-3 ladles of batter into a piping bag prepared with the nozzle and cut parchment paper to the size of the baking trays. To aid piping perfect circles, trace the outline of a 50c coin on the reverse side of the parchment paper leaving 1.5 inch gaps in between.
  9. Once a whole tray is piped with batter tap firmly against the work-surface to pop out any trapped air bubbles and let rest for 20 minutes. Pre-heat the oven at 170 degrees before baking for 13 minutes.
  10. Once baked let the trays and shells cool completely on a heat-proof surface or a cooling rack before peeling shells off gently.

Pistachio Ganache Macaroon Filling

  1. Place the cream and ground pistachios in a small saucepan and bring to a soft simmer over medium heat stirring frequently.
  2. Once the cream reaches a simmer remove from heat, cover lightly with cling film and let rest.
  3. Place the chocolate in a double-boiler or bain-marie to melt slowly over medium heat, stirring constantly to evenly melt. Once melted pour into a mixing bowl.
  4. Pour the cream and pistachios into the melted chocolate in a steady stream and gently stir in till it reaches a uniform and glossy finish.
  5. Let the ganache come to room temperature before covering with cling film and placing in the fridge to set slightly.
  6. Prepare a piping bag with a 1cm round piping nozzle.
  7. Peel the macaroon shells off the baking parchment gently and pair up for size.
  8. Using a spatula fill the piping bag with the ganache and pipe dollops on half of the shells and then lightly sandwich with another shell.
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