Lime macarons

I'm always being asked by people whether I can make macarons that aren't so sweet. Unfortunately it's a fact that a good proportion of the macaron shell itself is made of sugar, and playing around too much with the proportions there is likely to lead to disaster.

One way to make them seem less sweet is to use a really tangy or sour filling. Although citrus curds make delicious macaron fillings, they don't keep very well.

Here's my alternative - a lime ganache, still made with white chocolate but very tangy and full of lime flavour.

For the shells,

110g ground almonds

200g icing sugar

50g caster sugar

90g egg whites

food colouring - I used Avocado Wilton food gel

Whisk egg white to stiff peaks, gradually adding the caster sugar. Add colouring to achieve intensity you desire.

Fold almonds and icing sugar into the eggwhites, "macaroning" until you achieve the correct consistency.

Pipe rounds onto baking trays and leave until a skin forms (usually at least 30 mins, much longer if humidity is high).

For the lime ganache:

100g white chocolate

20g freshly squeezed lime juice

Zest of 2 limes

Heat chocolate and lime juice until melted and combined. Stir in zest and allow to cool.

Sandwich macaron shells with cooled ganache. These macarons will keep well for at least a week in the fridge.