Halva and Chocolate Snow Macarons

If you’re looking for a nice activity for the winter, here’s a great idea! These macarons are painted with snowflakes on top and are such a great thing to do with your kids in the winter days. I got the idea from the great Epicurious Mom blog.

These macarons are filled with halva spread and mini homemade chocolate truffles, but you can definitely fill them with any other spreads you like.

Halva and Chocolate Snow Macarons

25-35 macarons

For macaron shells:
100 grams sugar powder
65 grams almond meal
50 grams egg whites
Pinch of salt
20 grams sugar
cocoa powder for topping

For royal icing:
100 grams sugar powder
1-2 tsp. cold water
A little sugar to disperse

White chocolate and halva filling:
50 ml. heavy cream
Pinch of salt
200 grams white chocolate, chopped
30 grams halva very finely chopped

Dark chocolate truffle:
100 ml. heavy cream
100 grams dark chocolate, chopped

Preparation:

Macarons:

1. Sift powdered sugar and almond powder into a large bowl. It is important to sift carefully and do not leave large chunks in the mixture.
2. Put the egg whites and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer with a whisking hook and beat on high speed until meringue begins to form and the mixture starts to whiten.
3. Add sugar and continue beating until a glossy and stable meringue forms.
4. Add almond powder to the meringue and fold carefully with a spatula. At first, stir slightly aggressive, and then go through a gentle fold until the mixture is uniform, stable but not liquid.
5. Transfer the mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a 1 cm round piping tip and pipe macarons on an oven tray lined with silicon mat.
6. Sprinkle some cocoa powder on top of the macarons.
7. Leave the macarons for about an hour at room temperature before baking to dry and create a thin membrane on top.
8. Preheat the oven to 150c degrees.
9. Bake the macarons for about 10-13 minutes or until set.
10. Cool completely at room temperature. Only when macarons are completely cold it can be separated from the pan. Arrange the macarons in pairs.

Royal icing:

1. In a small bowl mix sugar powder and water until the mixture is smooth and very thick.
2. Transfer the royal icing into a small piping bag and draw on top of half of the macarons as in pictures.
3. Sprinkle a little sugar on top. Leave the royal icing to set for about 1-2 hours at room temperature.

White chocolate and halva filling:

1. Heat cream and salt in a small pot to simmer.
2. Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate, wait a minute, and beat until you get a uniform ganache.
3. Mix in the halvah. Cool for about 1/2 hour at room temperature, until the cream thickens a bit.

Dark chocolate truffle:

1. Heat cream in a small pot to simmer.
2. Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate, wait a minute, and beat until you get a uniform ganache.
3. Cool the truffle mixture in the refrigerator for about 1 hour, or until set.
4. Form tiny balls of ganache.
5. Pipe white chocolate and halva filling over half of the macarons and place a small truffle in the middle. Close.
6. Refrigerate for several hours before serving.

Notes:

• Keep the macarons for up to 4-5 days in the refrigerator. Serve at room temperature.