A bit about me - as this is a food blog, I should say that until about 2 years ago I was the kind of cook who burnt Super Noodles, and could just about manage 3 minute filled egg pasta with pesto from a jar as a ‘good’ meal. 

 

Then a year volunteering with VSO in Zambia changed all that. I was alone in a village in Southern Africa where the market sold dried fish, tomatoes and sweet potato leaves, and egg noodles were a 3 hour drive away. Something had to change, and that something was my ability to cook. So using whatever ingredients I could find, I started baking my own bread, and attempting all the dishes possible with the limited fresh ingredients. And I loved it!

 

Please sign up to this blog where I’ll share recipes and tips, and will have a look at what fruit and vegetables are in season and what great dishes you can make with them.

Spring has sprung, and about time too. The world seemed interminably bleak this winter. I dreamt about escaping to an island where water lapped on sand and the sun twinkled, reflecting off the waves. But then the snow, rain and chill brought me back to London, still shivering. Bring on April, with daffodils everywhere, announcing with their yellow trumpets that the days are longer. The cherry blossom fluttering from the branches reminds me how much I love this time of year. It may sound clichéd but for me spring broadcasts hope, loud and bright.

 

Pesach is on its way, and you probably have started your cleaning and preparations for this labour-intensive festival. In thinking about Pesach, I’ve been toying with the idea of sharing with you my star recipe from last year. I thought, what if you make these gorgeous macaroons and pass them off as your own. All that attention and praise that I hogged last year will have been shared. You’ll be making amazing macaroons, and I’ll never know. Your families will eat them up, guests will coo. It seems so unfair.

 

I’ve come round to the idea of sharing my recipe, mainly because shop bought Pesach biscuits can be so miserable.  I’m feeling generous.  Maybe it’s the bright daffodils that are opening in a vase next to me, appealing to my big-heartedness.

 

So here they are, Pesach Macaroons, in all their sticky almond chewiness. All I ask is that you pass on the feedback. I’d love to know a little of the joy that’s been shared!

 

 

2 egg whites

225g ground almonds

170g caster sugar

Zest of 1 lemon

Whole blanched almonds, 1 for each macaroon

1 bar of good quality dark chocolate

 

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

 

Mix all the ingredients apart from the chocolate together in a bowl.

Then roll it into small ping-pong sized balls. Lay the macaroons onto a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper, and press a whole almond into the middle of each one. Then bake for 7-10 minutes, or until lightly brown. You want them to keep some of their gooiness.

 

Once the macaroons have cooled, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over lightly simmering water, and dip the bases into the chocolate.

Leave to cool upside-down on the greaseproof paper, and serve throughout Pesach and beyond.

 

Pesach Kasher v’Sameach

 

Rachel