Macaroons

50g ground almonds
140g icing sugar
2 large egg whites
1tbsp caster sugar
pink food colouring paste

for the filling:
100g plain chocolate; broken up
50g butter
142ml double cream

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan170°C/gas 5. Line 2 large baking trays with non-stick baking paper.

2. Sieve the ground almonds and icing sugar together into a large bowl. Put the egg whites into a separate bowl, and using an electric hand whisk, beat to soft peaks.

3. Add the caster sugar, and whisk until glossy. Fold into the almond and icing sugar mixture, along with a very small amount of the pink food colouring. Mix until just combined and evenly pink – the mixture will reduce as the air bubbles in the meringue burst.

4. Put the mixture into a disposable piping bag, snip off 1cm from the end. Pipe small blobs (about 1 heaped teaspoon each) onto the baking paper, spaced apart, so you have about 50 in total. Set aside for 10 minutes to dry – this is important as it gives the macaroons the correct texture. Bake for 5 minutes, then turn the whole sheet of paper over – the macaroons will be stuck so won’t fall off. Bake for another 4 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool.

5. Peel off the baking paper from the macaroons, then sandwich 2 together with a tiny blob of filling in the centre. Repeat to give you 25 in total.


*tips: Cook the macaroons on the middle and top shelves of the oven, and swap the trays around once the macaroons have been flipped over. Store the macaroons in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

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