Calorie conscious macaroons - recipe

Line 2 baking trays with non stick baking parchment. Have ready three large piping bags and a plain 1cm wide piping nozzle.

Measure the egg whites very accurately, placing 60 grams in one large bowl and 60 grams in the mixing bowl of an electric stand mixer.

Place the icing sugar and ground almonds in a mixing bowl and add one portion of egg whites and a few drops of pink food colouring. Mix until it forms a paste.

Place the  half spoon sugar into a small pan and add 50 ml cold water. Heat gently then  boil until the sugar thermometer reaches 110°c, then start whisking the egg whites to firm peaks, keep an eye on the syrup at the same time and as soon as it reaches 118°c remove the syrup from the heat (do not take it to 120°C firm ball as this is too far)

Trickle the hot syrup into the egg whites whilst your electric mixer is on, until it is all incorporated and you have a smooth shiny meringue.

Place the meringue mixture into the bowl of almond mixture and using a large metal spoon fold the two together until smooth and it forms a thick ribbon.

Place the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1 cm wide plain nozzle.

Pipe small macaroons about 2.5cm around onto the paper. They will not spread very much so can be fairly close to each other . Press the mixture out, keeping the bag close to the paper until the macaroon is large enough, then twist the piping bag and lift away quickly. Any little points on the mixture should disappear but if not, use a damp finger to soften them.

Allow the macaroon to rest on the work surface for 30 minutes, this will help them form a smooth surface and create the “foot’ when baked.

Preheat the oven to 170°C (150°C fan, gas mark 3).  Bake the macaroon for just 14 minutes. If the macaroons begin to brown, cover them with a sheet of baking parchment after 10 mins.

When baked, the macaroon should lift easily from the baking parchment. Place the sheet of paper and the macaroons on the work surface or cooling rack to cool.

Sandwich the macaroons together with a little jam. These will keep for 1 day in the fridge, or for 2 days unfilled in a cake tin.