Michael and Rachel's

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Classic Macaroons

Updated: 25 Apr 2015

Ingredients

  • 100g aged egg whites (about 3 large eggs)
  • 1 tsp egg white powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 110g almond meal, dried in a cool oven (100C) and sifted
  • 200g icing sugar
  • 50g caster sugar

  • Pink food colouring

  • Icing

  • 100g unsalted butter
  • 200g icing sugar
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp strawberry extract

  • Pink food colouring

  • N.B the egg whites should be ‘aged’ or if using fresh ones, microwave on defrost for about 10 seconds. In either case ensure they are room temperature.

Method

  1. Sift the almonds and icing sugar and mix together. Set to one side.
  2. Separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites, salt, and egg white powder in a medium mixing bowl until the egg white powder dissolves and it reaches soft peaks. With the mixer on high speed, gradually add the caster sugar and beat until it reaches stiff peaks. If using, add the food colouring as it approaches stiff peaks. Do not overbeat.
  3. Pour the meringue/egg whites into the dry ingredients and mix quickly to break down the bubbles in the egg white. Smear the mixture against the sides of the bowl. After this, fold carefully to incorporate the dry mixture. Take care not to overmix – stop when it becomes shiny, and the mixture flows like lava. A streak of mixture spread over the surface of the rest should disappear after about 30 seconds.
  4. If making pigs, reserve some of the mixture and wait until the skin has formed and then pipe on top. If making hearts (to be flush with the shell rather than imposed upon) then take some of the mixture at this point and tint with food colouring; place in a separate piping bag. As soon as the macaroon shells have been piped in the next step, immediately pipe on the hearts. The mixture will lie flat.
  5. Place in a piping bag and pipe rounds of about 3cm diameter on lined baking sheets.
  6. Gently rap the sheets on the bench to remove any air bubbles, then leave to dry for about 30 minutes or until a skin has formed on the surface. You should be able to gently press the surface without it breaking.
  7. [Go back and add the ears / noses / tails if making pigs; leave for another 30 minutes.]
  8. Preheat oven to 150C and bake for 16 minutes or until just starting to go golden around the edges. Use a palette knife to check that it’s not stuck to the baking tray - if it’s sticking then the macaroons aren’t done yet. Remove from the oven, leave to cool on the tray for a few minutes then gently transfer to a wire rack using a palette knife.
  9. Prepare the buttercream filling and pipe onto the bottom shells. Gently sandwich them together. Use black writing icing to add additional details or dust with icing sugar / cocoa etc. or just leave plain. Leave to dry and then refrigerate overnight. Store in the fridge but serve at room temperature. They will keep about 4-5 days in the fridge or alternatively freeze in the normal way.

Variations

Vanilla Malt Filling

  • 100g white chocolate, finely chopped
  • 100ml double cream
  • 50 Horlicks
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla

Heat cream, Horlicks powder and vanilla until nearly boiling. Remove from heat and stir in cream. Allow to cool thoroughly before adding to macaroons.