Laduree recipe

Laduree is an upscale French patisserie with beautiful macaroons. I am no patissier but I think with some practice I could master the skill of French macaroons. The Laduree recipe is hard to find, but I finally found a recipe for the mini macaroons from a Laduree patissier, lucky me!

INGREDIENTS

• 480g icing sugar
• 280g ground almonds
• 7 egg whites
• A few drops of flavoured food colouring such as strawberry

METHOD

1.  Preheat the oven to 180C.

2.  Mix the icing sugar and ground almonds in a food processor until you have a fine powder. Sift to remove any lumps.

3.  Beat the egg whites, adding the food colouring as you go. Quickly and carefully add the almond-sugar mixture.

4.  With a wooden spoon, mix from the centre of the bowl outwards, turning the container as you go. You want to achieve a smooth, lightly coloured mixture.

5.  Using a piping bag with a centimetre-wide nozzle, pipe three centimetre-wide macaroons onto a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper.

6. Cook for eight to nine minutes, leaving the door of the oven slightly ajar.

7. Remove the macaroons from the oven. Pour a little water between the baking tray and the greaseproof paper - this makes the macaroons easier to lift off when they have cooled.

8. Sandwich the macaroons using marmalade, raspberry jam or whipped cream to serve.

TIP: Leave the finished macaroons for 24 hours in the fridge. This allows the flavours and texture to develop and intensify