Giant Hazelnut Macaron

• for the shell
• Mass:
• Italian Meringue:
• for the filling

1. for the shell
2. 1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
3. 2. Create "Mass" by folding all ingredients together with a big spoon.
4. 3. To make Italian meringue: Cook sugar and water to 240 degrees F. Remove from the heat, let the bubbles settle. In the meantime, whip egg whites in a mixer on high speed to soft peaks.
5. Pour cooked sugar slowly into the egg whites while continuing to whip the whites. Continue whipping the mixture to soft peaks. The finish meringue should be shinny and fold down when you flip the whisk over.
6. 4. Fold in 1/3 of meringue into "Mass" to lighten the mixture.
7. 5. Fold in the rest of meringue, and deflate the batter.
8. 6. Place into a pastry bag with plain tip# 5, pipe 3-inch diameter circles on a baking sheet lined with a silicon mat. Rest for an hour or until skins are form.
9. 7. Double the baking sheet and place into the oven, then lower the temperature to 300 degrees F.
10. 8. Bake for 12 minutes, rotate half way through.
11. 9. Let them cool down completely on the baking sheet before removing.
12. 10. Sandwich them with buttercream, store in an airtight container and chill.
13. for the filling
14. 1. Whisk egg white, sugar and salt together in a mixing bowl over a bain-maire until the mixture reaches 140 degrees.
15. 2. Place the mixing bowl into a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, and whip on high speed until stiff peaks.
16. 3. Gradually add small amounts of butter into the mixture, continue beating until the mixture is smooth.
17. 4. Add cocoa powder, and beat for an additional minute.

shell, italian meringue, filling

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/giant-hazelnut-macaron-50104009 (may not work)