Ask for a macaroon in 2019 and you will almost certainly be handed a macaron, a diminutive double-disc of light, crisp almond meringue in a shade of brilliant pink (raspberry or rose) or chic grey (liquorice or black sesame). They will be held together by the merest whisper of buttercream and arrive in their own fancy box. Camp as Christmas and sweet as a sugar cube, your little cakes will peep from their beribboned eau de nil coffin like a tiny, yappy dog poking its nose from a Chanel bag.
They do, I suppose, have a certain charm, especially those flavoured with vanilla or pistachio. But if I’m going to indulge in an almond cookie then I’d rather have a “proper” macaroon. The sort that used to come in a paper bag from the cake shop rather than a gift-wrapped box from a patisserie.
Plump, soft and carrying a perky almond nipple, the best have a temptingly cracked crust, are crisp outside and softly chewy within. Generously proportioned and heavy with ground almonds, I can only imagine what a macaroon thinks of its twee pastel-coloured namesake.
I made a few batches of my favourites this week, swapping some of the traditional almonds for pistachios, giving them a faintly Lebanese air. We ate some with coffee, then crushed the rest to crumbs and folded them into a white chocolate mousse, to be served in small glasses and eaten with a teaspoon after dinner. They were a doddle to make, too.
Macaroons
You need rice paper for these. When I say that, I mean the edible snow-white macaroon rice paper that is sometimes called “nougat paper”. Not the “rice paper” one can buy for spring rolls. That is another thing altogether.
Makes 12
shelled pistachios 70g
ground almonds 50g
rice flour 6 tbsp
caster sugar 150g
egg whites 2
whole pistachios a few
rice paper 3 sheets
Set the oven at 160C/gas mark 3. Put the pistachios in the bowl of a food processor and work to fine crumbs. They should be almost as fine as ground almonds. Transfer to a mixing bowl and toss with the ground almonds. Stir the rice flour and caster sugar into the ground nuts.
Put the egg whites in a mixing bowl and beat lightly, until they just start to foam, but no longer. Fold the beaten whites into the dry ingredients to make a sticky dough.
Line a baking tray with sheets of rice paper. Roll the mixture into 12 balls and place each on the rice paper, then put a whole pistachio in the centre of each.
Bake for 20 minutes then remove from the oven and leave to rest for a good 10 minutes before carefully cutting or tearing the macaroons from the rice paper sheets, leaving a disc of paper in place on the bottom of each.
White chocolate mousse with lemon and macaroons
The lemon brings a lightness to this mousse that could otherwise be too cloying. Use large eggs, to keep the mixture light, and do cover the mousse when setting in the fridge. You can use the pistachio macaroons above for this, but they are just as good made with commercial almond macaroons from the bakers. Oh, and do note I mean old fashioned, flat macaroons not amaretti or filled “macarons”.
Serves 6-8
milk 100ml
dried bay leaves 3
unwaxed lemon 1
white chocolate 250g
double cream 250ml
egg whites 3 large
macaroons 125g
Pour the milk into a small saucepan, add the bay leaves, roughly crumbled, and bring to the boil. As the milk and bay are warming, finely grate the zest from the lemon and add to the pan. Make sure you don’t include any of the bitter white that lurks just below the yellow zest.
Chop or break the white chocolate into small pieces, put them in a heatproof glass or china bowl suspended over a pan of boiling water. Switch off the heat then let the chocolate melt, without stirring it. To help it on its way, you can push any solid chocolate under the liquid chocolate with a spoon, but still resist the temptation to stir.
Pour the cream into a bowl and beat until thick. It should be thick enough to sit in soft folds, but not stiff enough to form a peak.
Crumble the macaroons to coarse crumbs and set aside. A mixture of sizes is a good thing, but try not to include any large lumps. You may find this easiest by giving them a quick blitz in a food processor.
When the chocolate has completely melted, remove from the heat and pour the warm milk on to it through a sieve. Gently stir together until smooth. Discard the zest and bay. Fold in the whipped cream (easiest done with a whisk).
Beat the egg whites with a balloon whisk until stiff then fold them into the chocolate using a large metal spoon. Lastly, fold in the macaroon crumbs.
Scoop the mousse into 6 to 8 small glasses, cups or dishes, and refrigerate until set and chilled.
Email Nigel at nigel.slater@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter@NigelSlater
