CINNAMON MACAROONS

1 ¼ cups almond meal

1 2/3 cups powdered sugar ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 3 whites of large eggs ¼ cup sugar

In large mixing bowl, sift almond meal, powdered sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside. With electric mixer, whisk egg whites and sugar until stiff peaks form. Add dry ingredients and fold with spatula, making sure NOT to overmix. The texture will be flowing and lava-like.

Put mixture into piping bag, tipped with a round tip. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and pipe the same size amounts of batter, spacing them about an inch apart. Tap pan against the counter to release air bubbles, then sift ground cinnamon over the top. Let set for about 45 minutes allowing it to form a shell on the outside. Preheat oven to 320-degrees. Bake for 16 minutes before removing from oven and peeling off parchment paper. let cool, then pipe frosting between each.

Arrange 1 cake layer on a serving plate, then make a ring of frosting on the outer rims of the cake, creating an edge for the apple filling. Spread about a cup of the apple filling inside the rim of the frosting, then place another cake layer on top and repeat until all layers are used. Cover with Cinnamon Frosting and decorate with macaroons, piping frosting between the macaroons as well.

And the cake, entered by Amanda Wilson, that was judged second most outstanding was simply called Chocolate Cake. You’ll love it. The taste is fantastic, the texture is excellent and the decoration was beautiful.