I came up with the idea for these the other day while on charter. I was in the galley and was clearing out the cupboards in preparation for our holiday and I found some edible paper!

This led to a desperate craving for macaroons so I rushed through the dinner preparations so I could make some. I based these on a recipe by Christopher Kimball from his book ‘The Dessert Bible’ but I have changed it to suit the way I cook and to incorporate some deliciously sweet apricots.

The beauty of making macaroons is that the actual method takes hardly any time and ‘ involve any complicated techniques.

2 Cups Ground Almonds
2 Cups White Sugar
3-4 Large Egg Whites at room temperature
6 Dried ready to eat Apricots, chopped
1 Tsp Almond Extract

1. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or edible paper in a single layer (dont overlap) Preheat the oven to 200oC.

2. Sit the almonds and sugar together, gradually stir in the egg whites until you have a stiff dough. You may not need all the egg whites.

3. Add the apricots and almond extract and mix well.

4. Take a medium round spoon and wet it. Spoon the mixture onto the baking trays and smooth down any uneven peaks with a wet spoon or wet finger.

5. Place in the oven and cook for about 20 minutes until brown round the edges and puffed.

5. Place in the oven and cook for about 20 minutes.