Macaron Jardin d'Eden (Vanilla and Basil)

Preheat oven to 50°C (122°F).

Wash, dry, and tear the basil leaves.

Blend basil with crystallized sugar.

Spread the mixture on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Dry in the oven overnight.

Sift icing sugar, almond flour, and vanilla powder together.

Add 55 g egg whites without mixing.

Cook water and sugar to 118°C; start whipping the remaining 55 g egg whites at 115°C.

Pour syrup over the whipped whites and cool to 50°C.

Fold meringue into the dry ingredients.

Pipe 3.5 cm rounds onto lined baking sheets.

Tap sheets to flatten slightly and sprinkle lightly with basil sugar.

Dry shells for 30 minutes.

Repeat the same process without the vanilla powder.

Preheat oven to 180°C (356°F) with fan.

Bake for 12 minutes, opening the door twice briefly.

Cool the shells on the counter.

Tear basil leaves and scrape vanilla seeds.

Infuse basil and vanilla into heated cream for 30 minutes.

Melt white chocolate to 45–50°C.

Reheat cream, mix into chocolate gradually, and blend for smoothness.

Chill for 6 hours with plastic wrap directly on the surface.

Pipe vanilla-basil cream onto the vanilla macaron shells.

Sandwich with plain macaron shells.

Refrigerate for 24 hours; bring to room temperature 2 hours before serving.