Cookin' Like a Chef: Chocolate Buttercream Macaroons Gluten Free

Makes 16 small biscuits

2 egg whites
4 tbsp maple syrup or honey
3/4 cup / 180 ml almond flour
 ½ cup desiccated coconut, unsweetened

Mocha buttercream
4 ounces (1 stick) butter, room tempered
2 egg yolks
3 tbsp maple syrup or honey
1 tbsp strong coffee of choice, optional
4 tbsp cacao powder

5 oz dark quality chocolate

Preparing the biscuits: Preheat the oven to 360°F  and line a baking sheet with baking paper. Whisk egg whites and maple syrup vigorously in a medium size bowl for about a minute. Add almond flour and desiccated coconut and stir until well combined. Use your hands to shape small balls, about half the size of a golf ball. Be aware that the dough is quite loose to work with. Place them on the baking paper and flatten them out a bit, they should roughly have the size and shape of a French macaroon, about 2 inches wide. You can also make them larger, if you prefer bigger biscuits. Bake for about 8-10 minutes and then leave to cool completely. Meanwhile prepare the mocha buttercream.

Preparing the buttercream: It’s easiest to prepare the buttercream using an electric mixer or a stand mixer, but a balloon whisk and a strong arm works as well. Whisk egg yolks vigorously in a large bowl until frothy. Cut the butter into small lumps and gradually add them together with maple syrup and coffee, while whisking. The buttercream might look curdled at one point, but just keep whisking and it will smoothen out. Sift the cacao into the buttercream and whisk until well combined. If it has become too soft, you can leave it in the fridge for a while to firm up.

Assembling: Turn the cooled biscuits upside-down. Spread about a two teaspoons buttercream onto the flat base of each biscuit and use a knife or a pallet knife to shape the cream into cones. You can also use a pastry bag to pipe the buttercream onto the biscuits. Leave to cool for about 15 minutes in the fridge. Chop the chocolate and melt it over a water bath/double boiler. Take it off and leave for a minute or so to cool down slightly. Hold the base of the biscuit between your finger tips and dip the cone into the chocolate. Twist and shake off any excess chocolate before putting it down. Repeat with the remaining biscuits. Can be served immediately, kept in the fridge for a few days or frozen and saved.

We are using the stove and oven.  For this reason and to ensure the safety of our students please have a parent available for supervision purposes.