This week’s Carnival topic has kind of made me sad. Daft I know when it’s the joyous subject of cookies and cakes but I’m on a diet L The lack of cookies and cakes in my life is for the best (well, the best for my waistline/bum/thighs/bingo wings) but I can still look, dream and dribble slightly at the thought of them!
I absolutely LOVE baking. I find it a really relaxing pastime, all the weighing, sifting, mixing, splodging and cooking makes me really happy. When it came to choosing a recipe I got caught in a trap of tastiness and kind of went round and round thinking about it. Do I choose a cake or a cookie? Squidgy or crunchy?
In the end I went for this.....one of my most favourite things to eat in the world EVER.....
Almond Macaroons
Makes around 24
You will need :
175g/ 60z ground almonds
125g/ 4½oz caster sugar
pinch of salt
1 tsp almond extract
1 egg white, whipped until foamy
whole almonds/almond slivers to decorate (optional)
icing sugar for dusting (optional)
1. Preheat the oven to Gas mark 3 / 160C / 325F
2. Line a baking tray/ tin with greaseproof or rice paper (I love rice paper, it just makes the bottoms of the macaroons really yummy)
3. Mix the almonds, sugar and salt together
4. Add the almond extract and egg white and beat together until it forms a firm paste
5. With damp hands roll small quantities of the mixture into balls. Place on the baking tray at least an inch apart as they will spread out. Press a sliver of almond into the top of the ball if wanted.
6. Bake for around 20 minutes until lightly coloured. Cool on a wire rack and dust with icing sugar (but only if you want to :P)
They keep pretty well in an airtight tub but I find they’re best eaten soonish with a cup of coffee or tea and a good book to hand.....
(Image from Bing)
Here are the other recipes in this Cakes and Cookies Carnival:
Nova at Cherished by Me gives us her Cherry, Coconut and Marshmallow Traybake. Kelly at Domestic Goddesque posts her recipe for heart-shaped jammy-dodger-style biscuits in Baking with a heart! Heather at SAHMLovingIt gives us her Scrumptious Beetroot Seed Cake Recipe. Helen at Cheeky Wipes gives us her recipe for
I love almond macaroons and yours look lovely, they have come out really well! My grandmother who I adored, and who I have also written about on my blog in the spooky goings on post, used to make them for us, along with florentines and honey cake. They bring back such happy memories of my childhood and my grandma. I have often thought about making them myself but I have been worried in case they weren't perfect and tarnished my memory of my grandmothers, does that sound silly?
ReplyDeleteI have never made macaroons but have been meaning too, this may just be the spur that I need. Thank you. :)
ReplyDeleteYay! So glad you're all enjoying the macaroons...I'm loving looking at all the other lush recipes in the Carnival too!
ReplyDeleteOh, how I adore macaroons. They remind me of the middle east and Turkish coffee and the heady days of long summer breaks from university.
ReplyDeleteooooh Turkish coffee.....lovely.....
ReplyDeleteI love anything with almonds.. these sounds great!
ReplyDeleteThey sound nice - and easy to make!
ReplyDeleteI adore macaroons but have never made them myself. Thanks so much for the recipe x
ReplyDeleteI've never tried macaroons but these look delicious.
ReplyDeleteMmmmm I've never tried to make these before but I may just have a go! Thanks.
ReplyDeletethese look fab, you make it sound easy. I might give it a try.
ReplyDeleteI bake a lot but I've never made macaroons. These look yummy but easy so I think I'll give them a go. Almonds are a favourite in this house so I can see them going down well.
ReplyDeleteThis carnival is going to be the death of me! Love almonds, so will definitely be giving these a go :)
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