Ingredients :
125g icing sugar
125g ground almonds
90g range egg whites
2 tbsp water
110g caster sugar
food colouring (optional)
150ml whipped cream, whipped
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 170/C/325F and line a large baking tray with baking paper.
2. Put the icing sugar, ground almonds and 40g egg whites together in a large bowl and mix to a paste.
3. Put the water and caster sugar in a small pan and heat gently to melt the sugar,
4. Then turn up the heat and boil until the mixture starts to go syrupy and thickens.
5. Whisk the remaining 50g/2oz egg whites in a small bowl until medium-stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed from the bowl.
6. Then pour in the sugar syrup, whisking until the mixture becomes stiff and shiny. For coloured macaroons, add a few drops of food colouring.
7. Spoon into the piping bag. Pipe a little mixture under each corner of the baking paper to stop it sliding around.
8. The mixture should be quite loose to give a smooth finish.
9. Leave to stand for 20 to 30 minutes to form a skin then bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes with the door slightly ajar until firm.
10. Remove from the oven, lift the paper off the baking tray and leave the macaroons to cool on the paper.
11. When cool, sandwich the macaroons together with whipped cream. n
