Macarons

Method

• Line baking trays with baking parchment.
• Beat egg whites in a small bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form.
• Beat in the caster sugar and 1 or 2 drops of food colouring.
• Fold in sifted icing sugar and ground almonds.
• Spoon mixture into large piping bag fitted with a 1.5cm plain tube and pipe 30 small macaroons onto the trays.
• Tap the trays on the work surface to allow the macaroons to spread slightly.
• Dust with icing sugar.
• Bake macarons in a preheated oven at 130c for 20 minutes.
• Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then transfer to wire rack.
• The macaroons can be eaten on their own, or sandwiched together with chocolate spread.
• To Make the Chocolate Spread:
• Melt 100g white chocolate and 2 tablespoons of cream together and then refrigerate.
• For Lemon Macarons:
• Add the grated rind of 1 large lemon and 2 teaspoons of lemon oil to the mix.
• When cooked, spread a little lemon curd in between the macaroons.
• For Chocolate Macarons:
• Add 3 tablespoons of cocoa power to the icing sugar.
• Sandwich together with Hazlenut spread.
• For Raspberry Macarons:
• Add 6 Tablespoons of raspberry coulis to the mix.
• For the filling whip 75g of cream cheese with 75g unsalted butter(softened) to 150g icing sugar.
• Fold in Raspberry coulis to taste.