Ingredients
Macaroon
Chocolate mousse
Pistachio cream
Method
Macaroon
1.Have egg whites at room temperature.
2.Preheat oven to 150°C/300°F. Draw two 20cm (8-inch) circles on baking paper, place upside down on greased oven trays.
3.Process ground almonds and icing sugar, in two batches, until fine; sift through a fine sieve into a large bowl.
4.Combine egg whites and cream of tartar in small bowl; beat with electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add caster sugar; beat about 5 minutes or until firm peaks form; fold into almond mixture.
5.Fill a large piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain tube with mixture. Starting from the centre of each circle, pipe a continuous circle of meringue inside the pencilled border; sprinkle with nuts. Stand about 30 minutes or until the macaroon mixture feels dry to touch. Bake about 25 minutes.
6.Meanwhile, make chocolate mousse and pistachio cream.
7.To assemble, place one macaroon, nut-side down, on serving plate. Fill a large piping bag fitted with a 1cm (½-inch) plain tube with mousse; pipe around edge to make petal shapes. Freeze 10 minutes. Spread pistachio cream into centre; freeze 10 minutes.
8.Top with remaining macaroon layer; cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate. Remove from refrigerator 15 minutes before serving.
Chocolate mousse
9.Melt chocolate in small heatproof bowl over small saucepan of simmering water (don’t let water touch base of bowl); cool until barely warm.
10.Beat sugar and egg yolk in small bowl with electric mixer until doubled in volume; whisk in chocolate then cream. Stand until starting to set.
11.Stand the mousse at room temperature as it will be difficult to pipe if set in the refrigerator.
Pistachio Cream
12.Blend or process nuts until fine and oily. Add egg white; blend until combined. Beat egg yolks and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until doubled in volume; beat in nut mixture.
13.Bring cream to the boil in small saucepan; whisk into egg yolk mixture. Pour into small saucepan; cook, stirring, over low heat do not boil until mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon.
14.Sprinkle gelatine over the water; stand 5 minutes then stir into warm cream mixture. Pour through fine sieve into medium bowl; whisk in a little green colouring. Place bowl in iced water; stir until thick.
