Pistachio Fudge Macaroons

Macaroons, basically posh meringues, are all the rage at the moment with recipes popping up left right and centre. As always some are better than others but these ones come with a glowing endorsement from my niece... "little bites of loveliness."

Preheat your oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.

Ingredients:

5oz pistachios - shelled and peeled
11oz icing sugar, sifted
1oz cocoa powder
4 large egg whites
a pinch of salt

For the filling:

7oz butter
7oz caster sugar
4 tbsp golden syrup
1 tin of condensed milk

Method:

1. Cut two sheets of baking parchment big enough to line two baking sheets. Using a 4cm plain cutter and a pencil, draw circles on one side of the parchment leaving a 1" gap between each. Flip the paper over and place on the baking sheets.

2. Place the nuts, icing sugar and cocoa into a food processor and blitz to a powder.

3. Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt to a thick foam that holds its shape, then gently fold in the pistachio powder. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle.

4. Hold the piping bag straight up with the nozzle pointing at the centre of the circles you drew on the parchment, about 1cm from the surface, and gently squeeze out the mixture until it reaches the pencil outline. Repeat.

5. Leave the macaroons for 30 minutes to dry a little then transfer to the oven and cook for 12–15 minutes. Lift off the paper and cool on a wire rack. If you aren't going to use them immediately, store them in an airtight container.

6. Place the butter, sugar, syrup and condensed milk into a heavy saucepan and stir over a low heat until the butter has melted. Let the mixture simmer gently for five to eight minutes until thick and fudge-like. You must stir this mixture constantly or it will burn. Cool.

To serve, use a little of the fudge to sandwich two macaroons together and dust lightly with icing sugar.

Macaroons and meringues don't take kindly to moisture so you must serve them as soon as you have sandwiched them. But, on the plus side - the macaroons and filling can be made well in advance.