PIPING BAG TECHNIQUES RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 170/C/325F/Gas 3 and line a large baking tray with baking paper.
• Put the icing sugar, ground almonds and 40g/1½oz egg whites together in a large bowl and mix to a paste.
• Put the water and caster sugar in a small pan and heat gently to melt the sugar, then turn up the heat and boil until the mixture starts to go syrupy and thickens - I don’t use a thermometer but if you prefer to use one, it should read 115C/239F at this stage.
• Whisk the remaining 50g/2oz egg whites in a small bowl until medium-stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed from the bowl, then pour in the sugar syrup, whisking until the mixture becomes stiff and shiny. For coloured macaroons, add a few drops of food colouring. Tip this meringue mixture into the almond paste mixture and stir gently until the becomes stiff and shiny again.
• Spoon into the piping bag. Pipe a little mixture under each corner of the baking paper to stop it sliding around. With the bag held vertically, pipe 4cm/1½in flat circles onto the lined tray, about 2cm/¾in apart, twisting the bag after each one. The mixture should be quite loose to give a smooth finish. The piping will leave a small ‘tip’ on each circle so, when they’re all piped, give the tray 2–3 slams on a flat surface to flatten them. At this stage, sprinkle with desiccated coconut if you want.
• Leave to stand for 30 minutes to form a skin then bake in the oven for 12–15 minutes with the door slightly ajar until firm. Remove from the oven, lift the paper off the baking tray and leave the macaroons to cool on the paper.
• When cool, sandwich the macaroons together with whipped cream. They can be kept for a couple of days, if they hang around that long!

Steps:

• For the jam, place the strawberries in a large saucepan and crush with a potato masher.
• Add the jam sugar and heat gently, stirring continuously, until the sugar dissolves.
• Keep stirring, increasing the heat, bringing it to a full rolling boil, one that bubbles vigorously, rises in the pan and cannot be stirred down.
• Start timing and boil for four minutes only. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
• For the sponge, preheat the oven to 190C(170C fan)/375F/Gas 5. Lightly grease the tins with butter.
• To make the cakes, cream the butter and caster sugar together until the mixture is pale and light. Gradually add the beaten eggs, mixing well between each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl from time to time. Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine.
• Sift the flour into the bowl and fold in until the mixture is glossy and smooth.
• Divide the mixture between the mini sandwich tin cups and level with a teaspoon.
• Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for about 15 minutes until golden-brown and springy to the touch.
• Leave the cakes to cool in the tin for two minutes and then ease onto a wire cooling rack and leave to cool completely.
• Whip the cream to soft peaks and spoon into a piping bag fitted with a small plain nozzle.
• Cut each cake in half horizontally with a bread knife.
• Pipe one dot of the cream in the middle of each cake base and the rest in dots around the edges. Drizzle the jam over the cream, place the sponge tops on and lightly sift icing sugar over the cakes.