Passion Fruit Macaroons

Makes 36 halves (18 macaroons)

• 3 free range egg whites
• 55g (2 oz) caster sugar
• Yellow food colouring
• 200g (7 oz) icing sugar, sieved
• 125g (4 oz) ground almonds
• Filling: 3000ml (½ pint) double cream
• 2 ripe passion fruit

Beat the egg whites until they reach the ‘soft peak’ stage, then whisk in the caster sugar until it has dissolved. Whisk in the yellow food colouring. Fold in the icing sugar and ground almonds. Place this mixture into a piping bag with a 1¼cm (½ inch) plain nozzle.

Pipe rounds onto Bake-O-Glide placed on a baking sheet about 2 cm (¾ inch) apart. Tap the baking sheet on the worktop to level off the mixture. Leave to stand for 30 minutes until no longer sticky.

2 oven AGA: Place the baking sheet on the grid shelf placed on the floor of the roasting oven with the cold plain shelf on the third runners down and bake for about 10-15 minutes until firm.

3 and 4 oven AGA: Place the baking sheet on the grid shelf placed on the floor of the baking oven and cook for 15-20 minutes until firm.

Leave the cooked macaroons for 5 minutes, then move to a cooling rack to cool completely. For the filling whip the cream and fold in the passion fruit pulp. Sandwich the macaroons together with the filling.

Rayburn cooking: Bake in the main oven at 150°C (300°F), Gas Mark 3 for about 20 minutes.

Conventional cooking: Bake at 150°C (300°F), fan oven 130°C, Gas Mark 3 for about 20 minutes.