Sunday Afternoon Macarons

Ingredients for macarons:

170 grams of icing sugar

160 grams of ground almonds

120ml of egg whites separated in two equal amounts ( 4 eggs)

160 grams of granulated sugar

1/4 tsp of food colouring of your choice.

Ingredients for Crème patisserie filling

4 egg yolks

60 grams of caster sugar

30 grams of cornflour

280ml of milk

100ml of double cream

Method:

Place the icing sugar and ground almonds in a bowl and mix until combined. Add one lot of the egg whites to the mixture and mix until a thick paste and set to one side.

Next step, place 50ml of water and sugar in a small saucepan on a medium heat. Bring to the boil and cook until 110c.

Now add the egg whites to a heatproof bowl and put on high. Once the sugar syrup has reached 118c slowly pour it down the side of the bowl and continue to whisk on high until the mixture has cooled slightly and has become shiny peaked meringue mixture. Add the food colouring and Whisk until combined.

Tip the meringue into the prepared almond paste and gently fold together.

Heat the oven at 160C and line some baking tins with baking parchment. Transfer the macaron batter to a piping back, with a large round nozzle. Pipe round circles of 2cm diameter on the baking sheets and leave to rest for 30 minutes.

Once the macarons are rested place them in the oven for 14 minutes.

Once cooked take them out of the oven and slide them onto the work surface to cool. Once cooled gently peel the macarons of the parchment paper.

Filling for Crème patisserie

To make the filling beat the egg yolks and sugar until pale and slightly thicker and whisk in the cornflour.

Heat the milk into the saucepan until the milk just starts to boil and then whisk the milk into the egg mixture.

You then need to put the whole mixture into the saucepan stirring all the time until thick and boiling.

Take off the heat and cover with clingfilm.

Once the crème patisserie is cool transfer to a mixing bowl add the double cream and whisk for a minute or two.

Place the filling into the piping bag and pipe onto one side of the macarons and sandwich with the one on top. Continue this until all are done.