Le Macaron!

Apparently maracroons/macarons are the new cupcakes so thought i had better jump on the bandwagon quick! These were surprisingly easy to make and i was nervous about it as not really worked with egg whites that much. However they were a doddle and tasted great. However, may have been some beginners luck as a second attemped was no where near as good. Too grainy.
175g icing sugar
125g ground almonds
3 large egg whites
75g caster sugar
Food colouring and filling of your choice

Whizz the icing sugar and almonds in food processor until fine (i think this is an important stage my second attempt was grainy and i think i under whizzed the sugar and almonds). Sieve into a bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt to soft peakes. Then gradually whisk in the caster sugar until thick and glossy. At this point add any colouring or flavouring and mix.
Fold in half the almond/icing mix and mix well. Add the second half and use a spatula to fold until shiny and has thick ribobn like consistency.
Spoon into a piping bag. Prepare greased, lined trays. Pipe rounds onto the trays. Tap the trays on the surface and leave for 10-15 mins to form a slight skin.
Bake in 140 fan for 15 mins. Leave to cool before peeling away. Fill with preferred filling and sandwhich together.

Ginger biscuits with white chocolate

I discovered what a great combination white chocolate and ginger is at my nephew's birthday party. His mum had made a gingerbread house and used white chocolate to stick the smarties etc on with. As we were picking at it afterwards with both agreed white chocoate and ginger was divine!
So with Valentines day in mind (any excuse to bake) I decide to make these Ginger Biscuits drizzled with White Chocolate

Ginger Biscuits :
125g butter
100g dark muscavado
3.5 tbsp golden syrup
300g plain flour
1tsp bicarb. of soda
2tsp ground ginger

Melt the butter, muscavado and syrup in a pan. In a bowl mix the flour, bicarb and ginger. Pour the melted mixture into the flour mixture and form a stiff dough. Add more water or flour as necessary.
Roll out and cut into shapes.
Prepare greased, lined baking sheets. Place biscuits on baking tray and bake in 180 fan oven. Be careful over the cooking time if you over cook the biscuits will be extra crunchy (hard). 10 mins should do it but keep an eye on depending on how you like them.
Once the biscuits are out of the oven and cooled melt 100g bar of white chocolate in the microwave (don't over do it in the micro otherwise the choc will prove. When the bowl is hot take it out and stir and the chocoate will melt). Drizzle choc over biscuits and leave to set.