Ooooh la la!!

I finally got round to attempting macaroons and they are not as hard as they are thought to be at all. In fact I'm not sure why they have such a fierce reputation, as long as you accept that they aren't going to look perfect like the ones you buy in a Parisian patisserie! Here are my Strawberry and Cream macaroons!

I used Marian Keye's recipe from her book Saved by Cake. They are a 'flavourless' macaroon so you can flavour as well as colour it if you wish. I kept mine 'flavourless' and then used buttercream and strawberry jam to sandwich them together, but you could also use flavoured buttercream or cream.

Marian Keye's Macaroons
Depending on how big you want them, depends on how many this will make. I made 10 macaroons from this but they were BIG. I think I would aim for 15 next time!

2 egg whites,
150g/6oz castor sugar,
120g/5oz ground almonds,
120g/5oz icing sugar,
Food colouring and flavouring if required.

1. Line baking trays with baking paper and use a cutter and a soft pencil to draw circles to the size you require. Turn the paper over so that the pencil is on the bottom.
2. Whisk the egg whites until they make stiff peaks.
3. Add a tablespoon of castor sugar and whisk again. Keep adding the sugar and whsking until it is all mixed in.
4. Mix in the ground almonds, icing sugar, colour and flavour if using.
5. You can either use a plain nozzle and piping bag to pipe the macaroons onto the baking paper or a tea spoon. The piping bag will get them neater and more equal but if you haven't used one before then I would suggest a teaspoon and practice piping with buttercream first. Don't worry if they have pointy 'heads' on them, they will subside in the oven.
6. Leave them on the worktop for half a hour to form their crusty outsides!
7. Preheat the oven 150C/130C fan/gas mark 2.
8. After half a hour, bake for 25 minutes.
9. When they come out the oven, leave on the tray, on a wire rack for about 20 minutes. Then use a palette knige to gently lift them.
10. When they are completely cool, fill with your filling and imagine you are in a patisserie in Paris!

Let me know how you get on if you give these a go!!

xxxx