CENTAUR’MACAROON

Dilute the instant coffee with egg whites (1) for 5 minutes. In
a beater with the paddle attachment, make an almond paste:
stir the ground almonds with icing sugar and egg whites mixed
with the coffee.
In the meantime, prepare an Italian meringue: in a small
saucepan, boil water and sugar to 118°C and drizzle over
whipped egg whites (2). Continue whisking whipped egg whites
and cooked sugar until the meringue is just warm.
Add the meringue in two or three stages in the almond paste
with coffee. Work the macaroon mixture with a maryse until a
smooth, shiny and slightly stringy consistency.
Preheat the oven to 160°C. Using a pastry bag fitted with a tip
number 9, shape small balls with a diameter of 3 cm, set wide
apart on a baking tray covered with a cooking paper. Allow to
dry for 20 minutes before cooking in a fan forced oven at 160°C
for 10 or 12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on wire
frame before to take-off them.

Heat to 70°C the butter, the salt and the cream. In a saucepan,
make a dry caramel with the sugar and the glucose and add
gradually the heated cream. Boil for at least 5 minutes, stirring
all the time. Cool it in an ice bath. When the caramel is just
warm (50°C around), mix with a blender, then add the Rémy
Martin® VSOP cognac and place in the refrigerator well
covered overnight.

Using a pastry bag fitted with a tip number 9, garnish with Rémy
Martin® VSOP cognac and caramel filling over half of each
macaroon, then join together. Place covered in a fresh place.