Turn the oven off and let the macaroons cool in the oven for about an hour. Transfer to a wire rack with a damp palette knife and let cool completely.
6 Cream the butter and half of the confectioners’ sugar in a bowl, beating until pale and fluffy. Beat in the remaining sugar a little at a time until the mixture is smooth. Spread a little jam and buttercream over the bottom of 40 macaroons, then sandwich together with the remaining macaroons.
Pink almond macaroons
Coconut macaroons
Makes 26
Ingredients
3 large egg whites
11/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup ground almonds
a few drops of almond extract
3/4 cup shredded coconut
about 13 whole almonds, blanched and halved
Method
1 Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2 Whisk the egg whites thoroughly until stiff but not dry. Sift in the confectioners’ sugar and fold it in gently. Fold in the ground almonds, almond extract, and shredded coconut.
3 Put teaspoonfuls of the coconut mixture onto the baking sheets. Top each with an almond half.
4 Bake for about 25 minutes until golden brown and crisp on the outside and soft in the middle.
5 Let the macaroons cool on a wire rack. These are best served on the day of making.
Chocolate whoopie pies
Makes 15
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
10 tbsp soft butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
11/4 cups sour cream
Filling
9 tbsp soft butter
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
Topping
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder
21/2 tbsp cold water
colored sprinkles to decorate
Method
1 Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda into a bowl.
2 Put the butter, sugar, egg, and sour cream into another bowl, and beat with a hand-held mixer until evenly combined and smooth. Add half of the flour mixture and beat until smooth again, then add the remaining flour mixture and beat until the mixture is very thick and smooth.
3 Divide the mixture in half and put 15 rounded spoonfuls on each baking sheet, leaving room between them for the cakes to spread during baking.
4 Bake for 15–20 minutes until risen and firm to the touch—they will be cracked a little in the middle. Let cool slightly, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
5 Make the filling: put the butter into a bowl with half of the confectioners’ sugar and beat with a hand-held mixer until smooth and creamy. Add the remaining sugar and beat again, then stir in the vanilla extract.
6 Make the topping: sift the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder into a bowl. Add the water and mix to a smooth, spreadable icing. Sandwich the pies together with the filling, spread the icing on top, and scatter with colored sprinkles.
Iced lime bars
Makes 12 squares
Special equipment 9 x 13in (23 x 33cm) cake pan
Ingredients
12 tbsp soft butter or margarine, plus extra for greasing
2/3 cup granulated sugar
13/4 cups self-rising flour
11/2 tsp baking powder
3 large eggs
3 tbsp milk
finely grated zest of 2 limes, plus extra for decoration
Icing
13/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
juice of 2 limes
Method
1 Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚C). Lightly grease the pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
2 Combine all the cake ingredients in a large bowl and beat well for about 2 minutes or until smooth and thoroughly blended.
3 Pour into the prepared pan and level the surface. Bake for 35–40 minutes until the cake is well-risen, springy to the touch, and beginning to shrink away from the sides of the cake pan.
4 Let cool slightly in the pan, then turn onto a wire rack, peel off the lining paper, and cool.
5 Make the icing: sift the confectioners’ sugar into a bowl. Mix in enough of the lime juice to give a runny consistency. Pour over the cooled cake, spreading carefully with a palette knife, and let set. When cold, cut into squares, and serve with a little lime zest grated over the top.
Chocolate and mint bars
Mix 1/4 cup cocoa powder with 1/4 cup hot water and let cool. Add to the basic cake ingredients with 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint. For the icing, break 8oz (225g) chocolate into pieces and put into a heatproof bowl with 6 tbsp butter and 1/4 cup hot water. Put the bowl over a saucepan of hot water and heat gently until the chocolate has melted. Beat together until smooth and shiny, then spread over the top of the cooled cake.
Iced lime bars
Iced orange & lemon bars
Lemon bars are always a big hit and I think this variation with orange is particularly delicious. It’s also very easy to make.
Makes 12 squares
Special equipment 9 x 12in (23 x 30cm) baking pan, lined with foil and greased
Ingredients
16 tbsp butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
21/2 cups self-rising flour
4 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
grated zest of 1/2 lemon
grated zest of 1/2 small orange
Icing
13/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp orange juice
grated zest of 1/2 lemon
grated zest of 1/2 small orange
Method
1 Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚C). Put the butter, sugar, flour, eggs, and milk into a bowl and mix with a wooden spoon or hand-held mixer until smooth. Stir in the lemon zest and orange zest and pour into the baking pan. Level the top.
2 Bake for 30 minutes or until shrinking away from the sides of the pan and springy to the touch. Let cool in the pan.
3 Make the icing: sift the confectioners’ sugar into a bowl, mix in the lemon juice and orange juice, and beat until smooth.
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