Matcha Macaroons - Using Up Some of Those Egg Whites

50 egg whites later and here I am, standing next to a batch of Matcha Macaroons.

I didn't make 50 egg whites worth of macaroons. I don't have enough baking sheets. Most of the egg whites are now in the freezer, although I did make a failed attempt at some forgotten cookies. More on those another time.

During an impulse internet shopping spree two months ago, I decided to fork out for a pot of Matcha green tea powder from the Japanese Kitchen Shop.

The silver pot that arrived felt as if it contained nothing inside. However, peeling back the lid and cutting the foil open revealed the most delightful pistachio green powder I have ever seen. It is such a light and delicate dust that I became almost at once afraid of using it and put it straight into the cupboard, only to see it every time I opened it to get at other baking ingredients and feel a pang of guilt at not using it sooner.

Green tea compliments so many other flavours. I had some left over white chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream from A's Cake which I put into these. But they would work equally well, if not better, with a tropical fruit like passionfruit, or even something a little less exotic like a strawberry ganache.

Ingredients
125g ground almonds
225g icing sugar, sifted
2 tbsp Matcha green tea powder
100g egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
70g caster sugar


Method
Sift the icing sugar, almonds and green tea powder together onto a baking sheet.
Whisk the egg whites on a high speed until increased in volume and soft peaks form.
Add the sugar, one spoon at a time, mixing well after each addition until all the sugar is incorporated.
Add all the rest of the dry ingredients in six stages until all incorporated, mixing briefly at each stage so as not to over mix.
Line a baking sheet with baking paper and preheat the oven to gas mark 3/150C.
Fit a piping bag with a medium plain nozzole and fill with the mixture.
Pipe the mixture in circles not more than one inch across onto the baking sheet, leaving an inch between each one.
Leave for 20mins to set and develop a skin.
Bake for around 15mins until each macaroon has a foot and is barely golden on top.
Leave on the sheet for a minute or two before lifting off with a palette knife. Cool on a cooling rack.
Sandwich simliar sized macaroons together with buttercream or jam of your choice.