Macaroons, A Sweet Treat

I am currently testing new recipes for Valentine’s Day desserts and gifts. With this in mind, I thought I would share a recipe with you that is easy to make, delicious to eat and can be simply packaged up as a gift whatever the occasion.

Macaroons are hugely popular in France, every bakery sells them. There are shops dedicated to the humble macaroon, the grand master of Macaroons is a company called Laduree, which has chic bakery boutiques in capital cities all over Europe, including one in Harrods in London. The macaroons come in a rainbow of vibrant colours, flavoured with anything sweet you can imagine.

Vanilla Macaroons

140g Ground Almonds

240g Icing Sugar

1tsp Vanilla Extract

2 Egg Whites

1tsp Powdered Egg White

Food colourings

Flavoured butter cream

250g Unsalted Butter, 500g Icing sugar – Soften the butter, stir in the icing sugar and a tbsp of water to soften. Add any desired flavourings for example vanilla extract and mix to a smooth piping consistency, fill a piping bag and pipe a small blob onto one base of macaroon. Sandwich together. Best eaten the same day.

Alternative flavourings : Rose, Coconut, Chocolate, Lemon, Pistachio, Coffee, Ginger, Orange, Raspberry, Strawberry etc.

  1. Line 2 large baking sheets with baking parchment. Preheat the oven to 150’c, Gas 2.

Mix the almonds, icing sugar and vanilla together.

  1. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites with the powdered egg to a firm foam. Fold in the almond mixture with a large metal spoon. Add any food colouring at this point. I usually divide the mixture to make a selection of colours.
  2. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain nozzle. Pipe neat little “buttons” of mixture @ 3cm in diameter. Press the tops down with a wet spoon if you have little peaks.
  3. Leave to stand for 20 mins until a skin forms on the top.
  4. Bake the macaroons for 20 minutes until they feel slightly firm.
  5. Leave to cool for 5 minutes, then slide the paper off onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely. They shouldn’t be crisp all the way through, slightly chewy.
  6. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
  7. To sandwich the macaroons together, prepare a filling of flavoured buttercream or sweetened marscapone and stick together.
  8. Place the macaroons in petit four cases and present in a nice box or tied with ribbon in a bag.

Check out our blog to watch a short video of Sian demonstrating how to make macaroons.

La Crème Patisserie, Unit 6, Mardon Park, Baglan Energy Park, Port Talbot SA12 7AX

Tel 01639 813166 Email