Battenberg macarons

• Makes 24
• 1 hr to prepare and 10-12 mins to cook, plus resting and cooling
• 248 calories / serving
• Gluten-free

Ingredients

• 250g ground almonds
• 350g icing sugar
• 6 egg whites
• 170g caster sugar
• pink gel or paste food colouring
• yellow gel or paste food colouring

For the filling

• 150g salted butter, softened
• 100g icing sugar, sifted
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 75g strawberry jam

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C, fan 130°C, gas 2.
2. Nonstick baking paper should be used to line two baking trays.
3. In a food processor, finely grind the almonds and icing sugar.
4. Set aside.
5. Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form, then gradually add the sugar until the mixture is glossy.
6. With a large metal spoon, fold in the almond mixture over the egg whites.
7. Half of the mixture should be spooned into a second bowl.
8. Stir a drop of pink colouring into one bowl and a drop of yellow colouring into the other, being careful not to knock out any air.
9. Fill a piping bag with each mixture and a 1cm nozzle.
10. Using a pastry bag, pipe 25cm circles onto the lined pans.
11. Make 24 half-muffins of each color.
12. Any air bubbles should be tapped out of the baking trays.
13. Allow for 30 minutes of rest time, or until the rounds are no longer sticky when touched.
14. Bake for 10-12 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow to cool fully.
15. Make the filling in the meantime.
16. Combine the butter, icing sugar, and almond extract in a mixing bowl and whisk until light and fluffy.
17. Spread a thin layer of jam on each yellow half with a spoon.
18. Top with a thin layer of buttercream, applied with a small palette knife or a piping bag.
19. With the pink macarons, make a sandwich.
20. Chill until ready to serve.

Tip: Because a small amount of paste or gel food coloring gives a bright color, it's ideal for baking macarons. If you use liquid coloring, the mixture will be too runny to pipe uniformly.