Raspberry Macaroons

I have fallen for yet another trend... the Macaroon trend.

I recently attended the MasterChef expo and was inspired by these trees (say what) of macaroons. I have also been to Adriano Zumbo's takeaway patisserie, skipping away like a little girl with my rainbow of delights. I then brought home and tested Donna Hay's macaroon kit. It was now time to put my macaroon skills to the test, from scratch. Can I make the perfect macaroon?

I had a heap of egg whites to use and raspberries sitting in the freezer. It was time and so I made a double batch:

• to use up all the egg whites I had remaining from making cannelloni
• to make certain I got the perfect circumference to match each macaroon
• knowing that they would not last long amongst the mysterious sneaky snackers that live in my household

Here's the recipe:

3 egg whites

55g caster sugar

pink food colouring

240g icing sugar

120g ground almonds

1 tbs of sieved raspberries (push 6 defrosted raspberries through a strainer with the back of a teaspoon)

1 extra tbs of icing sugar

60ml thickened cream

150g white chocolate, chopped

1 tbs raspberry jam

1. Line trays with baking paper
2. Whisk eggs until soft peaks form, using cake mixer. Add caster sugar and food colouring. Fold in sifted icing sugar, ground almonds and raspberry purée.
3. Spoon mixture into piping bag and attempt making perfect 4cm round macaroons. Ha! 
4. Tap trays, sprinkle with extra icing sugar and let sit for 30 mins.
5. Preheat oven to 150˚C
6. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool on trays.
7. Boil cream in saucepan, add chocolate, stir until smooth. Stir in jam and add colouring. Refrigerate until spreadable.
8. Sandwich the macaroons and voila!

OK so they're not the perfect colour and finish that the professionals achieve but now may I excuse myself and say I quite like the shabby chic homemade look; sprinkled icing sugar, lace (? I'm trying to make my cooking look pretty) and raspberry condiment all help disguise the browned, lumpy outcome. But despite the non-perfect result, I confess these macaroons didn't last long on the plate. In fact, by the time I realised these macaroons were slightly blurred and dark in this picture, it was too late — all were scoffed and this pretty picture is all that remains. Yum!