Ingredients

• 125gWestern Star Unsalted Butter, chopped
• 100gdark cooking chocolate, chopped
• 125gpistachio nuts
• 1 1/4 cupsicing sugar
• 1/3 cupegg whites
• pinch salt
• 1/4 cupcaster sugar

Method

• To make chocolate ganache, combine butter and chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and melt on HIGH for 1-2 minute, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally until firm.
• Process nuts and icing sugar in a food processor until finely ground.
• Beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in caster sugar beating well between each addition until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in pistachio mixture in 2 batches with a metal spoon until incorporated
• Pipe 24 x 5cm diameter rounds of mixture onto paper lined baking trays. Stand for 1 hour before baking, so macarons can form a 'skin'. Bake at 170°C for 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely before using a spatula to carefully remove from trays.
• To assemble macarons, sandwich 2 cool biscuits together with chocolate ganache.
• - The chocolate ganache will keep covered in the refrigerator for up to one month and also makes a decadent icing for chocolate cake, muffins and cup cakes. Pistachio biscuits can be baked up to 3 days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container before sandwiching together with ganache. Try sprinkling finely ground pistachio nuts on piped macaron mixture before standing and baking.