Ingredients
- 4½oz icing sugar
- 4½oz ground almonds
- 3½oz egg whites
- 2 tbsp water
- 4oz caster sugar
- food coloring
- desiccated coconut, for decorating
- 5fl oz double or whipped cream whipped
Directions
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Preheat the oven to 325F
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Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
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Mix icing sugar, ground almonds and 1½oz egg whites in a large bowl until a paste forms.
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Pour water and caster sugar in a small pan and heat on low to melt the sugar. Once melted, turn up the heat and boil until the mixture starts to thicken.
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Whisk the remaining 2oz egg whites in a small bowl, then pour in the sugar syrup. Be sure to whisk until the mixture becomes stiff and shiny. For colored macarons, add a few drops of food coloring. Red and green specific to the Holidays, pastels and favorite colors the other times of the year. Tip the meringue mixture into the almond paste and stir gently until the mixture becomes stiff and shiny again.
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Spoon into the piping bag. Pipe a small amount of mixture under each corner of the baking paper to stop it from sliding around the pan. Begin your baking by piping 1½in flat circles onto the tray, about ¾in apart, twisting the bag after each one. The piping will leave a small ‘tip’ on each circle so, when they’re all piped, give the tray 2–3 slams on a flat surface to turn them flat. At this stage, sprinkle with desiccated coconut to top them off.
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Let sit for 25 minutes to form a slight skin then bake for 12–15 minutes with the door slightly ajar. Macarons should be firm before removing from the oven. When ready, remove from the oven, lift the macarons and paper together as one off the baking tray and leave the macarons to cool on the paper away from the pan.
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When cool, sandwich the macaroons together with whipped cream or your favorite frosting.
- Enjoy!
