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
- Preheat the oven to 150°C, fan 130°C, gas 2.
- Nonstick baking paper should be used to line two baking trays.
- In a food processor, finely grind the almonds and icing sugar.
- Set aside.
- Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form, then gradually add the sugar until the mixture is glossy.
- With a large metal spoon, fold in the almond mixture over the egg whites.
- Half of the mixture should be spooned into a second bowl.
- 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.
- Fill a piping bag with each mixture and a 1cm nozzle.
- Using a pastry bag, pipe 25cm circles onto the lined pans.
- Make 24 half-muffins of each color.
- Any air bubbles should be tapped out of the baking trays.
- Allow for 30 minutes of rest time, or until the rounds are no longer sticky when touched.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow to cool fully.
- Make the filling in the meantime.
- Combine the butter, icing sugar, and almond extract in a mixing bowl and whisk until light and fluffy.
- Spread a thin layer of jam on each yellow half with a spoon.
- Top with a thin layer of buttercream, applied with a small palette knife or a piping bag.
- With the pink macarons, make a sandwich.
- 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.