I have tried to make them before but they always came out awful.
This time was NO exception. Sigh.
I even tried using the recipe from the Great British Bake off. Oh well. Here goes!!
Ingredients:
110g egg whites (whites from approx 3 large eggs)75g caster sugar
125g ground almonds175g icing sugar
You will also need a food processor, a large bowl, spatula, sieve and whisk.
Measure out the ground almonds and icing sugar and put them into the food processor. Turn it on and leave it on.
Measure out the egg whites, macaroons need special measures.
Egg whites are measured in grams seems a bit silly to me as surely you measure them in ml’s as a liquid but hey ho 110g egg whites = 110ml egg whites.
Maybe try out egg whites from 'Two Chicks'. The egg whites can be bought in Waitrose, Sainsburys, Tescos.
Place them into a large bowl and whisk like you would a meringue. As the mixture comes to soft peaks begin adding the caster sugar a third at a time until it’s all worked in and smooth and glossy.
You don’t need to whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks but they should be thick and glossy.
One of the wonderful things about macaroons are their fab colours – whatever takes your fancy.
Using gel paste colours is the best way to colour the mixture without changing the consistency.
Add a small amount of colouring to the meringue and mix in well.
Now you can turn off the Food Processor (and take your ear defenders off).
Sift into the meringue mixture half of the almond/icing sugar from the food processor.
Fold into the mixture using a spatula or metal spoon until it’s fully mixed in.
Sift in the final half.
The residue left in the sieve can be very grainy and hard so don’t force it through the sieve just discard it.
Fold in as before.
Now comes the tricky part, you need to keep folding the mixture until it goes smooth and glossy. By my reckoning this takes 1-2 minutes folding in a figure of 8. This loosens the mixture until it is the right consistency. You really don’t want to knock ten tons of air out of it but achieving the right point is important.
Hold your spatula above the bowl. The mixture should run from it in a smooth ribbon. If it’s jerky and breaking then it isn’t right yet. Just watch out though you want to stop right at this point and go no further, otherwise you’ll have hugely spreading macaroons.
Add the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a plain wide round nozzle.
Prepare two baking tins lined with grease proof paper.
Pipe the macaroons onto the tray in small circles. To begin with they will have a small peak on the top. If you have the correct consistency that will soon flatten and you will have a tray full of perfectly smooth macaroons.
If you are adding crystallised rose petals or violets for decoration then now’s the time to pop them on the top.
Now you need to set the trays aside for 30 minutes. After this time they should have formed a slight ‘skin’ and you should be able to touch them with your fingertip.
Preheat the oven to 140c Fan/160c/Gas Mark 3.
Place the trays in the oven for 13 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool, still on the tray. Good macaroons should be smooth and glossy with a good foot and not flat.
Sandwich together with a buttercream or ganache of your choice.
Parma Violet Buttercream
1 large packet of Parma Violets, ground plus icing sugar to weigh a total of 125g250g butter, softened1 tbsp milk
Yeah. Mine didn't turn out so great. Never mind. Better luck next time. If I can be bothered!!!
(Not mine)
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