Dazzling company: The Recipes

Pistachio Macaroons

Makes about 40

150g icing sugar

120g unsalted, shelled, pistachio nuts

pinch of salt

2 large egg whites

50g caster sugar

For the filling:

60g unsalted shelled pistachio nuts

200g icing sugar

pinch of salt

100g unsalted butter, softened

Line two baking trays with non-stick baking parchment. Place the pistachios, salt and icing sugar in a food processor and pulverize to a fine dust. Whisk the egg whites until they hold soft peaks. Add the caster sugar and continue to whisk until thick and glossy. Fold in the nut mixture. Spoon the meringue mixture into a large piping bag with a plain 0.5cm nozzle and pipe 2.5cm rounds onto the baking sheets. Bang the baking sheets on the work surface to settle and flatten the rounds slightly, and leave to rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 140ºC. Place the trays in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes. The meringues should be hard and well risen, but not brown. Allow to cool on the trays.

To make the filling. Pulverize the nuts, salt, and sugar to a dust as before. Add the butter and beat to a thick buttercream. Spoon the cream into a piping bag and neatly pipe blobs onto the flat sides of half the macaroons. Sandwich the halves together.