Orange and Vanilla Macarons

You’re hosting or attending a party and want to make a crowd-pleasing dessert. Scrap the cupcakes, why not make a fancy set of macrons? They may seem like something that should be left for the experts, but with this simple recipe, you’ll be well on your way to impressing all the guests.

First, you’ll need to sift the icing sugar and ground almonds into a mixing bowl.

Then, in a separate mixing bowl, use a stand mixer to whisk the egg whites together until they form a thick mixture.

In a saucepan pour the caster sugar into 35ml of water. Heat and stir until the mixture has reached 118-degrees and is a syrup-like substance.

Focussing back on your egg whites, turn the electric mixer back on and slowly pour the syrup into the bowl. Whisk constantly until it is shiny and peaked like a meringue mixture.

Add the colour powder and orange extract.

Fold the icing sugar and ground almonds into the egg white mixture until combined.

Heat the oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3-4. Pipe the mixture into a macaron tray or onto a lined baking tray and bake for 14 minutes.

Peel the macrons off the paper/take out of the baking tray and cool.

To make the filling, mix the soft butter and icing sugar in an electric mixer until a buttercream filling is made. Add the vanilla extract and combine.

Place the buttercream into a piping bag and pipe the filling onto one macaron half, and sandwich it with another.

Shop cooking appliances