Mouthwatering macaroons

Photo via weheartit, because I am totally useless at remembering to take my camera.

I'd always thought macaroons were scary things, requiring umpteen ingredients and special baking flair.  Turns out they're not so terrifying after all! 

I've just got back from a class at Jacques Bakes Cakes in Hinckley where Annaliese ably guided us through the process, and below is the recipe for what turned out to be pretty fool-proof (the fool being me) macaroons.

Ingredients

210g icing sugar

125g ground almonds

3 large egg whites (or 100g)

30g  caster sugar

Colouring pastes and flavourings, as required

Measure all ingredients very precisely.

Method

1. Using an electric mixer - tabletop or handheld - whisk the egg whites until stiff and holding their shape.

2. Gradually add the caster sugar while mixing.  If adding colour or flavour, add the colour paste directly to the beater then add the flavour.

3. Combine the icing sugar and ground almonds then carefully fold in to the egg whites, a third at a time.

4. Load into a piping bag fitted with a half inch tip and pipe onto baking parchment in small rounds.

5. Bang the tray to settle and leave to dry for at least 20 minutes, or until a 'skin' has formed and you can touch the macaroon without any tackiness.

6. Bake at 140c for 13-15 minutes, or until set with no 'wobble'.

7. Leave to cool then remove from parchment and sandwich together with buttercream icing.

This recipe made masses of macaroons: mine were pistachio but I think the most successful were raspberry flavour with vanilla buttercream.  Nom nom.