TASTE THE RAINBOW MACARONS
(Makes 40-45) For the almond paste:
200g blanched ground almonds, sieved 200g icing sugar 80g free-range egg whites (about 3 medium eggs)
Food colouring of your choice
For the meringue:
200g caster sugar 100g free-range egg white (about 3 medium eggs)
For the buttercream:
500g caster sugar 250g egg white 500g unsalted butter (room temperature) Flavouring of your choice First, make the almond paste. Turn the oven on to 200C.
Sieve the almonds into a bowl with the icing sugar and mix until incorporated. With an electric hand whisk or standalone mixer, mix in the egg white to make a thick, smooth paste.
Divide the mixture into two bowls, and colour with your chosen food colouring (go slightly darker than you’d like, as the colour will dilute when folded into the white meringue later).
Next, start on the meringue. Pour the caster sugar into a deep roasting dish lined with baking paper and place in the hot oven for seven minutes, until the sugar gets very hot to the touch but doesn’t melt.
Meanwhile, whisk the egg whites to a stiff peak, so they are just ready (not over whisked) when the sugar comes out of the oven.
Take the sugar out of the oven and turn oven temperature down to 150C. Then, teaspoon by teaspoon, spoon the hot sugar into the stiff egg whites (still whisking on top speed). Take your time with this to get the meringue as stiff as possible. Continue whisking until the bowl feels cool to the touch (about five to 10 minutes).
Next, divide the meringue mixture into two, and using a wooden spoon, fold the meringue into the two bowls of almond paste, being careful not to knock out the air.
Fill a piping bag, with a 1B nozzle, with the mix and pipe out small round mounds (about the size of a 2p coin) onto parchment paper-lined baking trays. Bash the tray against the worktop about three times to remove air pockets, then let the macarons form a skin (this normally takes about 30 minutes at room temperature). You can tell if its ready to go in the oven by running a finger gently across the top of the shells and seeing if it doesn’t stick (it shouldn’t!).
Bake for around 14-16 minutes. To check if they are ready to come out, wiggle a fingertip right to left atop one of the macarons; if the top doesn’t come away from the feet (the bottom of the macarons) then they are good to go.
When they come out of the oven, immediately slide the macarons off the tray onto a cool counter to shock them – otherwise they will stick to the paper when you try to remove them. Let them cool completely before trying to remove from the tray.
While the macaron shells are cooling, start on the buttercream filling.
Mix together the egg whites and sugar in a large metal or glass bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until the sugar crystals have dissolved and mixture is warm to touch (to check this, rub it between two fingers).
Transfer the mixture carefully to the standalone mixer or bowl with a handheld electric mixer, and whisk until stiff peaks form. Keep whisking on full speed until the meringue is at room temperature – and at the same time, while whisking, add the butter in small chunks. Keep whisking until the buttercream resembles the look of whipped cream.
Flavour as you wish. Vanilla is always a safe bet, but there are an abundance of great flavours, including lemon curd, melted chocolate, essences, or pistachio paste.
Sandwich each shell with some buttercream and enjoy!
Tip: Unfilled shells can be frozen for up to a month; filled shells can be frozen for up to a week, and will keep well outside the fridge in a sealed container for two to three days.