Macarons are one of those indulgent treats that you only have once every so often. For me, this is just because they aren’t available on every street corner like they are in paris. But now that I have the perfect recipe, this never has to be a problem again! Macarons are a parisian specialty, famous for their thin, crisp outer layer (similar to a meringue, but a little drier) which crumbles when bitten into, revealing a soft and  slightly chewy centre with a beautiful, subtle, sweet almond flavour.  Once you have the basic recipe, you can experiment with the flavours until your heart’s content. I used the recipe from ‘ottolenghi the cookbook’, but substituted the flavours to better suit my tastebuds. The flavours in the cookbook are lime with basil filling, and salty peanut with caramel filling I”m going to try this one next time). I have made chocolate with pistachio filling, and pandanus with coconut filling. Thanks to Louise, Josh’s mother, who had a beautiful chocolate cake topped with macarons at her 50th, which inspired me to post this recipe. (more…)