Hazelnut macarons with nutella

Ingredients:

3 egg whites (about 90 grams)
pinch of salt
35g granulated sugar
210 g powdered sugar
20g almond flour (after sifting)
80g grounded hazelnuts

Process: The day before: separate the egg yolks from the whites, place the egg whites in the airtight container (or cover with foil) and leave on the kitchen counter for 24 hours. This make the whites more liquid and will be easier to measure.

On the day of making: Heat the oven to 170°C.

Ground the hazelnuts and almonds with powder sugar in either coffee grinder or food processor. Be sure to use enough sugar otherwise you may end up with paste as nuts are oily.

Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites and beat them lightly until they start to foam. Add all the of the granulated sugar and beat till you have a thick glossy mixture but don’t over beat it.

Add a 4-5 tablespoons of , hazelnut, almond flour and powdered sugar mixture, mix with a few strokes to break down the meringue, then add the rest and mix gently with spatula until combined. Try to do this with about 10 strokes. Next, take a dough scraper and use it to mix until the right consistency, which is when the batter falling of the scraper and the formed “ribbons” are dissolving within a minute.

Pour the batter into the piping bag and pipe out rounds about 1.5-2 cm wide, sprinkle some chopped pistachios on top, then let them rest for 30 minutes to an hour for a skin to form. To check if the skin has formed, lightly tap on the macarons and if they no longer stick then they are ready (don’t forget to check the sides as well).

Bake the macarons in 170°C for about 15-18 minutes. Ovens tend to be different, hence the baking time can vary, it’s always good to check after 15 minutes if more time is needed;

To assemble: add 200g of nutella to a pipping bag and pipe on the macarons. Store them in an airtight container and leave to mature in the fridge for at least 24 hours, for the texture to develop. Take out of the fridge about an hour before serving, as they just don’t taste right cold! Enjoy!