How to Make Mini Egg Macarons

Add the icing sugar and ground almonds into a food processor and process until well combined. Alternatively, sift the two together – do this 3 times and discard any large lumps.

Empty the almond mixture into a large mixing bowl, add the first portion of egg whites and mix until it forms a paste. Cover and set aside.

Add the sugar and water into a small saucepan. Give them a very gentle stir to mix them together. Bring to a boil on medium high heat, then turn down to a simmer. Add a thermometer to the pan to help you measure the temperature of the syrup. When the syrup reaches 115C, add the second portion of egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer and start whisking them on medium/high speed until frothy.

When the syrup reaches 118C, pour it over the egg whites in a slow and steady stream. Whisk to stiff peaks for about 6 min. Stop the mixer and scrape down, then whisk for an extra couple of minutes until the mixture stands in stiff peaks.

Grab a spatula full of the meringue and fold it into the almond-sugar mixture, mix until well combined. This allows the mixture to thin out a little before you add the rest of the mixture.

Fold everything together by going around the bowl with a spatula then through the middle. When all of the almond-sugar mixture has disappeared, divide between 3 bowls and colour each bowl of mixture a delicate pastel colour. TIP – use the end of a cocktail stick to add the colour sparingly. Continue folding until the batter gets thin enough that it drips off the spatula and falls in a ribbon. It should take about 10 seconds for the ribbon to disappear into the rest of the batter.

Spoon the batter into a piping bag with a round nozzle. Pipe rounds of batter about 5cm in diameter, spacing them 2cm apart on baking trays lined with baking parchment. Use a cocktail stick to tease each circle into an egg shape.

Gently tap the tray on the work surface and leave to stand for at least 30 minutes, until a skin forms on the macarons. Preheat a fan oven to 180C (360F).

Bake for 12-15 minutes, turning the tray around about halfway through baking. Once they're baked, let them cool completely.

Once the macarons have cooled dip a brand-new toothbrush into the chocolate splatter and run your finger along the brushes to splatter onto the macaron shells. Let them dry for 30 min before handling them.

Fit the end of a piping bag with a 2D nozzle and fill with vanilla frosting. Pipe the frosting into the centre of one shell and add mini eggs around the edge. Top with another macaron shell.