I’ve been making a lot of macaroons recently….perfecting the skill you might say! These were without doubt the lightest batch I’ve made to date and the super sweet blackcurrant puree (see here) which I made was to die for with the creamy but punchy almond buttercream filling. Sandwiched lovingly between two girly pillows these taste like a mouthful of bakewell tart! Feel free to use a cherry or raspberry jam for a more traditional ‘bakewell’ flavour however.

For me, the excitement of macaroons comes in the endless combinations of flavours but I love taking a traditional dessert recipe and deconstructing it into a light macaroon in an ‘amuse bouche’ style! The possibilites are endless….pecan pie, treacle tart, creme brule macaroons perhaps?

Macaroon Shells

• 60g egg whites (about 2 eggs)
• 40g caster sugar
• 50g ground almonds
• 110g icing sugar
• Red food colouring

Filling- Almond Buttercream

• 80g butter, softened
• 80g icing sugar
• Up to 1 tsp almond essence (or to taste)
• Blackcurrant/cherry/strawberry jam
• Yellow food colouring (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C and line a baking tray with parchment.
2. Blend the ground almonds and icing sugar together in a food processor until fine and then sieve into a bowl.
3. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form, then add the caster sugar a spoon at a time until glossy stiff peaks form. Briefly whisk in a good splash of red food colouring.
4. Fold in 1/3 of the almond mixture to loosen it. Then fold in the rest, being gentle not to knock the air out.
5. Spoon into a pipping bag with a round ended nozzle and pipe consistent circles of mixture evenly. Give the tray a sharp slap on the surface to level the mixture and leave for 20 minutes, uncovered to form a skin.
6. Bake for about 12 minutes. They are ready when they come away easily from the tray. Leave to cool.
7. Combine the butter, icing sugar and almond essence in a food processor or a bowl until smooth and combined. Add a splash of yellow food colouring if you like- the bright yellow colour can look great with the red shells. Spoon into a piping bag.
8. Pipe some of the buttercream onto a macaroon shell half and top with about ¼ tsp of jam. Sandwich together with another empty macaroon half, squeezing together gently but not so the jam oozes out too much. Enjoy!

NOTE: I didn’t (as I ran out of icing sugar) but for authentic decoration, make up some thick wet icing with icing sugar and a tiny splash of cold water and spoon into a piping bag. Snip off the end and pipe some lines on the macaroons on the outside like a bakewell tart.