Traditional chocolate mousse macaroons

Mix the icing sugar and powdered almonds together in a blender. Sieve onto a large sheet of baking paper. Add the cocoa. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, gradually increasing speed. As soon as the whisk starts leaving marks, add the caster sugar gradually, one spoon at a time. Finish at high speed until you get a “bird beak” effect in the mixture.

Gradually add the sieved powders to the egg whites, gently mix with a rubber spatula. The mixture should be nice and smooth, and form a “ribbon” when falling.

Pour the mixture into a piping bag and pipe the macaroons onto oven trays covered with baking paper. Leave to dry for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 150°C (thermostat 5), with the convection or ventilation fan on. Place the trays in the oven one after the after, leaving the macaroons to cook 12 to 15 minutes each time. Once out of the oven, leave to cool for a moment on the tray, then remove the macaroons from the sheet. Place on a cooling rack.

Spoon some chocolate mousse onto half of the shells. Cover with the remaining plain shells. Place the macaroons in the fridge for 24 hours before eating them.

To ensure your macaroons are a success, separate the egg whites from the yolks several days beforehand and keep them in the fridge (covered). Bring them back to room temperature at least an hour before starting your recipe.