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1
Grease and line baking sheets with baking parchment.
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2
Grind the icing (confectioners') sugar and almonds in a food processor to a very fine powder.
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3
Using an electric mixer with a large bowl, whisk the egg whites to a foam then add the caster (superfine) sugar gradually and beat until the meringue stands in soft peaks.
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4
If making coloured macarons, gently beat in the gel or paste food colouring now.
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5
Tip the almond and sugar mixture on top of the meringue.
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6
Using a silicone spatula, sweep around the bowl in a circle and then use the blade edge to make rapid sideways strokes ten times.
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7
Repeat five more times.
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8
The batter should resemble flowing lava.
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9
Repeat until it slowly sinks back on itself.
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10
Fill a piping (pastry) bag with the batter and pipe the macaron shells onto the lined baking sheets (see Piping macarons in Techniques).
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11
Preheat the oven to 150 degrees C/300 degrees F/Gas 2.
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12
Leave the trays of shell batter to dry out until a skin forms on each circle - in a warm place this should take around 20 minutes.
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13
Bake on a low shelf for 15 minutes.
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14
Allow to cool for two minutes then carefully remove from the baking sheets.
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15
A few drops of water sprinkled under the paper will steam off any that are stuck.
