Category Sweet Treats

Macaroons, macaroons, macaroons……….macaroons

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These little mouthfuls of Parisian gastronomy are without a doubt the most beautiful, mouthwatering and delectable patisserie that would even make a botoxed WAG smile. Strangely, my first taste of these delights was in a cafe in L.A whilst I was traveling and was without doubt the best I’ve had. I love to cook these on a sunny afternoon when there is nothing else to do and I have all the time in the world. Although no matter how much I concentrate, I’ve never reached the standards of my first experience. If you’ve never sampled a macaroon before, I suggest doing so before trying your hand at them but make sure you find a proper cafe in London (or if you want to be extreme- Paris) and do NOT buy the pre-boxed ones found in Waitrose- they are hard and dry!

There is so much scope for experimentation using different colours, flavours and fillings! I’ve made flavours such as pistachio, lime and basil, coffee, salted caramel, coconut, amaretto, Pimms and strawberries and cream. These little delights remind me of my oldest friend so this recipe is dedicated to Miss Rhi Nokes…

Salted caramel Macaroons

  • 175g icing sugar
  • 125g ground almonds
  • 3 large free-range egg whites
  • 75g caster sugar

Filing

  • 125g caster sugar
  • 80ml double cream
  • 1/2tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 160g salted softened butter
  • 200g icing sugar
  1. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line a couple of baking trays with parchment
  2. Place the icing sugar and ground almonds in a food processor and blitz until fine, then sieve into a large bowl
  3. Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl with a pinch of salt to form soft peaks. Then spoon in the caster sugar bit by bit and whisk until glossy (If you want to experiment, add the colouring and extracts here e.g. peppermint, rosewater, coffee, lime, almond etc)
  4. Fold in half the almond/icing sugar mixture, using as few folds as possible. Then fold in the remaining half until you have a loose mixture
  5. Using a good quality piping bag with a 1cm round nozzle, fill with the mixture and stick the parchment to the trays using a small bit. Then pipe round and consistent circles onto the parchment (about 2.5cm wide) leaving room between.image
  6. Lift the tray about a ft from the work surface and drop sharply or tap sharply onto the counter to establish a good base to the mixture. Then leave them for 15 minutes to allow the surface to dry.
  7. Then place in the oven for 15 minutes until they can be easily peeled away from the parchment but are not too dry and crispy. Leave to cool
  8. Meanwhile make the filling. Mix the caster sugar with 5tbsp of water and heat to dissolve the sugar. Then increase the heat and bubble for 2-3minutes until the mixture turns caramel colour and thickens.
  9. Quickly remove from the heat and add the cream, vanilla and salt (Careful as the hot sugar may splutter) Allow to cool.
  10. Beat the icing sugar and butter together and mix in the cooled caramel
  11. When the macaroon halves have cooled, pipe a generous amount of buttercream onto one halve and sandwich together with another halve
  12. Then devour them allimage

PS. You can use any macaroon recipe you find. I have used the French meringue technique here by adding sugar to the egg whites. However, I have also tried the Italian way by adding the sugar as a hot syrup. Both were pretty similar in their outcome!

Hazelnut Frangipane Tart

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This tart is, I must admit, courtesy of the infamous Skye Gyngell, whose seasonality, simplicity and quality of recipes I admire. This is the most moreish and sophisticated dessert that will leave you on cloud nine with no leftovers. Its delicious….what more can I say apart from I recommend you make two to save yourself the anguish of realizing how quickly the first one was eaten. I served mine with a sweet rhubarb puree and creamy vanilla ice cream.

Shortcrust Pastry

  • 125g butter
  • 250g plain flour
  • 2 tbsp water

Filling

  • 300g shelled hazelnuts
  • 300g caster sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • finely grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 300g unsalted butter, cubed
  1. Begin with the pastry. Rub the butter into the flour to form a breadcrumb like mixture
  2. Add the water and mix with a knife to form a dough (you will probably need more water but add it little by little to prevent it becoming too wet)
  3. Knead lightly on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  4. Grease and line a fluted tart tin with a removable base (25cm diameter and 2.5cm deep tin)
  5. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to about 3mm thick into a large round. Lift the pastry onto the rolling pin and drape into the tin.
  6. Press the pastry into the well greased tin and up the sides and prick all over with a fork. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.
  7. Preheat the oven to 190°C and when the pastry case has rested, line with parchment, fill with baking beans and blind bake for about 15-20 minutes and a further 5 minutes without the beans until the case is precooked and golden.image
  8. To make the filling, roast the hazelnuts in the oven for about 5 minutes until warmed to release their flavour. To remove the skins, wrap in a tea towel and roll lightly and they should come away easily.image
  9. Tip the nuts into a food processor with the sugar, eggs, lemon zest and butter. Pulse to combine.
  10. Fill the precooked case with the filling and bake for about 35-40minutes until golden and set, but still soft in the middle. Cover with foil if it begins to brown too much.
  11. Serve warm, dusted with icing sugar with a rhubarb and vanilla puree and ice cream.image

Rhubarb and Vanilla Compote

  • 700g rhubarb
  • 15tbsp dark brown soft sugar
  • ½ vanilla pod, halved and seeds removed
  1. Cut the rhubarb into 2cm chunks on the diagonal and place in a heavy bottomed pan. Add the sugar and the vanilla seeds and the pods.image
  2. Heat gently to begin with until the sugar begins to melt and the rhubarb releases its juices. Then cook covered for about 15minutes
  3. Remove the lid and bubble gently for a further 15minutes until the rhubarb is broken down and sauce like. Discard the vanilla pod and serve warm with the tart.

The Best…….Peanut butter cookies

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I have been making these moreish cookies since I was old enough to open my A4, 1cm thick copy of ‘My First Baking Book’! When there is no need to ever have to look anywhere else for a recipe you know its the best. After a recent trip to America I was craving these little morsals, made extra special by the addition of some American produce in the form of a squashed and tempting bag of Reese’s peanut butter chips!

  • 125g unsalted butter softened
  • 175g soft brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 125g crunchy peanut butter
  • 175g self-raising flour
  • 1 large handful of Reese’s peanut butter chips (optional)
  1. Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl
  2. Beat in the egg and peanut butter, then sift in the flour and combine well
  3. Add the peanut butter chips
  4. Roll the mixture into golf ball sized balls and place on a lined baking tray, leaving room for them to spread. Using the back of a spoon, gently flatten the top of the ball slightly
  5. Bake at 180° C for 15 minutes and leave to cool on the tray before removing and devouring

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