Hazelnut Macarons with Chocolate Chambord Ganache

Instructions

For the Macarons:

1. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper. I used a 11⁄2-inch round cookie cutter to draw circles on the parchment paper and flip over the paper (drawing side down). Prepare a pastry bag with a round tip. I used Wilton 2A.
2. Pulse the powdered sugar and hazelnut flour into a fine powder using a food processor. Sift several times until less than two tablespoons of hazelnut bits are left. Add these to the mixture.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, combine the egg whites and sugar. Whip on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5-7 minutes.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the meringue and fold with a rubber spatula. Gently fold to deflate the meringue by pressing against the side of the bowl and scooping from the bottom until the batter is smooth and shiny; about 20-25 folds. To check consistency, drop a spoonful of batter that should have a peak that quickly relaxes back into the batter. Start checking the batter after 20 folds.
5. Transfer batter into a pastry bag and pipe the batter into the pre-traced circles on the baking sheet. Tap the baking sheet hard on the counter to release any air bubbles trapped in the batter. Let shells sit on the counter for 20-30 minutes to dry until a slight skin forms.
6. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until shells are hard, rotating cookie sheets halfway through baking time. You should be able to peel off the macaron from the parchment. Cool completely on cookie sheets before peeling from the parchment.

For the Ganache:

1. Combine the chocolate and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30-45 seconds and stir until chocolate melts. Remove from microwave and stir in butter until melted and chocolate is smooth. Whisk in Chambord with butter. Match same-size cookies; pipe a little mound of buttercream onto the flat side of one cookie and top with another. Store refrigerated for at least 24 hours before serving.