Chocolate Macarons With Red Wine Ganache

Use a 3 cm round object to trace 30 circles, 1cm apart, on 2 sheets of baking parchment. Turn the sheets over and place them on 2 large baking sheets.

Add the ground almonds and icing sugar to a food processor and mix for 2 minutes. Add the cocoa powder and pulse to combine until the mixture is a uniform brown colour. Set aside.

Add the egg whites and caster sugar to the mixer, if using, and whisk on a low setting for 3 minutes until combined. Increase the speed to medium and continue to whisk for up to 10 minutes, until the egg whites form stiff peaks. If using a hand-held electric whisk, use the lowest possible setting until the egg whites reach the correct texture.

Gently fold the flour mixture and food coloring, if using, into the egg mixture until combined. Do not over-mix: the batter should be firm and slightly deflated. Test the texture by taking a spoonful of the batter and dropping it into the bowl - it should disintegrate within 1 minute.

Spoon the batter into the piping bag fitted with the nozzle. Using the trace lines, pipe 30 meringues onto each prepared baking sheet. Tap the baking sheets firmly on the work surface a few times. Set aside until the meringues develop a skin that doesn't stick to your finger when you poke it gently(about 45 minutes).

Preheat the oven to 150ºC. Bake the meringues, one sheet at a time, for 13-14 minutes until firm to the touch. Allow both batches to cool on the baking sheets.

Meanwhile, prepare the ganache. Boil the red wine in a saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced by two-thirds. Set aside to cool.

Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream and honey in a saucepan to just below boiling, ensuring that they do not boil. Pour the cream mixture and the cooled red wine over the chocolate. Stir with a silicone spatula until shiny. Leave to cool until just slightly warm. Transfer to the remaining piping bag and leave to cool further until just set.

Cut the tip off the piping bag. Pipe the ganache onto the flat underside of one meringue and sandwich it together gently with the base of a second meringue. Take care not to overfill the macarons, otherwise ganache with spill out of the sides. Repeat until you have sandwiched all the meringues.

Leave to rest for at least 2 hours - the flavors will be even better if you leave them until the following day. Serve at room temperature. You can store the macarons in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to 5 days.