Baileys macarons

To make the vanilla bean ganache:

Bring the cream to the boil with the vanilla seeds and pod. Remove from stove and allow to cool slightly.

Finely chop the couverture white chocolate.

Remove vanilla pod from boiled cream.

Pour the cream over the chopped chocolate and let stand for 30 seconds.

Stir the chocolate and cream mixture and smooth and glossy.

Put ganache in a piping bag and chill thoroughly before piping onto shells.

Method for Irish Cream cloud:

Place Irish Cream in a small saucepan and warm it up.

Add in softened gelatine (be sure to squeeze off any excess water) and stir to dissolve.

Allow to cool to room temperature. Place meringue in a bowl and combine the Irish Cream and gelatine using a spatula.

Put in a piping bag and chill thoroughly before piping onto shells.

Method for macarons shells:

Heat fan-forced oven to 170ºC. In a metal bowl, mix almond meal and pure icing sugar to combine, then pass through a fine sieve.

Combine the 55g egg whites to the almond meal and pure icing sugar mix.

Mix until it becomes a homogenous paste. Set aside.

In a heavy-based saucepan, combine the water and sugar and attach a sugar thermometer.

Cook over high heat until the sugar syrup reaches 118º C.

Using the whisk attachment on a planetary mixer, whisk the 100g portion of the egg whites to soft peaks.

Pour the hot sugar syrup over the whisking egg whites.

Continue to whisk until the meringue is cool.

Measure 200g of the meringue and set aside.

Add one-third of the meringue to the paste and mix well to soften it.

Add the remainder of the meringue and mix gently until fully combined.

Put the batter into a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle.

Line baking trays with baking paper and pipe rounds of batter onto the trays, leaving 2cm between each round. Tap the tray against the bench to remove air bubbles.

Bake for 8 minutes.

Remove the trays from the oven and allow to cool completely.

Carefully remove the shells from the trays and pair each shell with another identically-sized shell.

Pipe the ganache onto one shell in each pair, leaving a well in the middle for the Irish Cream cloud.

Pipe the Irish Cream cloud into the well and place top of the macaron over it and press down slightly.

Refrigerate to set. Keep refrigerated for at least 2 days prior to serving.

Allow macarons to come to temperature for about 10 mins prior to consuming.