Multicoloured macaroons recipe

These multicoloured macaroons are ideal for special occasions, from birthday cake decorations to wedding favours. 

While multicoloured macroons have a real reputation for being difficult to make, they’re certainly worth it as they look amazing - and they’re delicious. Our recipe uses lashings of dark chocolate, double cream and ground almonds to really bring an authentic edge to the macaroons. Once you’ve got the basics down, it’s also so easy to make them real individual treats as peppermint, lemon, orange and vanilla are  just some of the more popular flavours used in the recipe, you can use any flavour combinations you like.

Ingredients

Macaroons:

• 175g (6oz) icing sugar
• 125g (4 ½oz) ground almonds
• 3 large free range egg whites
• 75g (2 ½oz) caster sugar
• Pink, yellow and green food colouring

Buttercream filling:

• 150g (5oz) butter, softened
• 50g (2oz) icing sugar
• Favoured flavouring choices (e.g. peppermint, lemon, orange, vanilla essence)

Chocolate ganache filling:

• 150ml (5fl oz) double cream
• 150g (5oz) dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160°C/320°F/Gas Mark 3.
2. Line two baking sheets with baking paper. Place icing sugar and ground almonds into food processor. Mix to make fine mixture and sift into bowl.
3. Place egg whites into non-stick bowl and add pinch of salt. Whisk to soft peaks and gradually add sugar until thick and glossy. Divide this mixture into two bowls and add food colouring accordingly.
4. Fold half the almond and sugar mixture into the macaroon mixture with spatula or metal spoon. Fold in remaining half until thick and shiny. Spoon into piping bag fitted with 1cm-plain nozzle.
5. Pipe small equal rounds of mixture about 3cm from each other on baking sheets. Put baking sheets gently on work surface and leave for 10-15 mins to form light skin. Bake for 15 minutes and remove from oven to cool.
6. Beat together butter, icing sugar and flavouring to make buttercream filling. Spoon or pipe on to macaroon and top with other half.
7. Melt cream and chocolate in bowl over simmering water to make ganache. Stir until combined, then remove from heat and continue stirring until cooled and thickened. Leave to cool before filling macaroon as before.

Tips for making:

Be sure that you’re breaking your eggs properly and no traces of yolk get into the mixture. Any yolk will stop the peaks properly forming in the mixture. 

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