SALON DE THE MACAROONS - Bijou and bite size !
MAKES ABOUT 20 FILLED MACAROONS
MACAROON
120g icing sugar plus extra for dusting
120g ground almonds
1 tbsp GREEN tea
2 medium egg whites at room temperature
pinch of sea salt
30g caster sugar
green food colouring
FILLING
140g unsalted butter
80g icing sugar
finely grated zest of half lime
Sift the icing sugar into a large bowl, add the ground almonds and stir to blend. Grind the tea in a coffee grinder, sift this on to the mixture and mix in.
Using a hand held elec whisk, whisk the egg whites with the salt in a large bowl until they appear foamy, then grad sprinkle over the caster sugar, whisking with each addition until they form medium-soft peaks (you dont need stiff peaks here!!)
Stir the almond mixture into the egg whites in two goes , then colour the mixture the very PALEST green with the food colouring.Line two baking sheets with baking paper,securing the corners with a little of the macaroon mixture . Drop level tsps of the mixture in circular mounds on the baking sheets, spaced slightly apart (they will spread a little) Now set the trays aside for two hours leaving the macaroons uncovered , during which time, they will form a skin - this ensures they dont crack when cooked !
Preheat the oven to 150oC/130C/fan/gas2. Dust the macaroons with icing sugarusing a tea-striner and bake for 20 mins, swapping the tray around halway through and if necessary, turning around. They should have a pale green glossy , domed surface speckled with icing sugar and a frilly edge around the bottom !.
Remove the paper with the macarooons from the baking tray, run the surface of the tray under a cold water to wet it, then return the paper to the tray.
Leave the macaroons to cool, then slip them off the paper using a spatula. You can leave them on a wire rack overnight if you like, in which case the shells will crisp a little .
To make the filling, whisk the butter in a ffood processer until soft and pale, then add the icing sugar, the lime zest and the smallest drop of green colouring.
Pipe or spread a little of this over the base half of the macaroons , sandwhichingthem with the other hlf. You can store the macarooons in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days, bringing them back to room temp before eating.