Fairy Bread Macarons

Ingredients

Macarons

200g icing sugar

200g ground almonds

3 large egg whites

1 tsp vanilla essence or seeds from 1 vanilla pod

200g caster sugar

70ml water

Half a lemon

2 large egg whites

100s & 1000s

 

Filling

½ cup vanilla Buttercream Icing
 

Method

Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Sift icing sugar and ground almonds into the bowl of a food processor. Whizz on high speed until a fine dust before sifting again.

Stir in the 3 egg whites and make a paste. Stir in vanilla.

Put caster sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to the boil rapidly, until it reaches about 120°C, or until the little bubbles start to look thick, like lava bubbling.

Wipe inside of the kitchen mixer bowl with lemon half. Put egg whites into the bowl and whisk until soft peaks form. With the mixer on low speed, very slowly pour the hot sugar into the egg whites, then increase the speed to high and whisk until stiff and glossy.

Add one third of the meringue to almond paste and mix thoroughly.

Add the remaining meringue and gently fold together, folding at least 50 times.

Using a round nozzle on your piping bag, pipe evenly spaced circles about the size of a two-dollar coin, leaving room for the macarons to spread.

Bang the tray on the kitchen bench to knock the air out of the macarons and sprinkle with 100s & 1000s.

Leave to dry out on the tray for at least 40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 120°C.

Bake for 20 minutes. Allow to cool.

Sandwich macarons together with the buttercream icing.

They will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Makes 30 filled macarons

Prep and drying time: 1 hour

Cook time: 20 mins