When it comes to macarons and macaroons, I know exactly which I prefer, and it’s not those smooth round, coloured meringues, exquisite though they are. I’m more a fan of old-fashioned macaroons, having grown up tasting Grandma Abson’s Coconut Macaroons, baked to a golden brown, a bit rough at the edges but always topped with a bright red glace cherry.
More marvellous macaroons
When I met Valerie’s friend, June, at a fundraising event in the summer, I discovered another superb type of macaroons. June had brought a tray of Saffron Macaroons which proved very popular. She had lived for a number of years in Italy where she had met her husband, who had grown up in a small village near Montecassino which lies between Rome and Naples. His mother, Francesca was a great cook, and she passed on her family recipe for this delectable sweet treat. June had become an accomplished cook herself and carried on the family baking tradition. I was so happy that she shared this wonderful recipe with me.
Saffron Macaroons
Ingredients
Large pinch of saffron
1 tbsp hot water
2 large egg whites
240g icing sugar
240g ground almonds
2 tsps almond extract
¼ tsp baking powder
Method
- Crumble the saffron in the hot water and set aside until it turns deep yellow.
- Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks.
- Sift the icing sugar and set aside 30g for dusting the dough.
- In a large bowl, mix together the rest of the icing sugar, ground almonds, almond extract, baking powder and saffron water.
- Stir through the egg whites. (Don’t worry about knocking out the air – the finished dough should be dense and sticky.)
- Line a baking tray with baking parchment.
- Use 2 spoons to shape walnut-size pieces of dough into balls. Then roll them in the reserved icing sugar, coating them generously, like snowballs.
- Space well on a baking tray and flatten the balls slightly. Leave at room temperature for an hour to form a slight shell.
- Preheat the oven to 170°C (150°C fan, gas mark 3) and very gently squeeze the macaroons at the sides to lightly crack the surface.
- Bake for 20 mins.
June says : Leave on a rack to completely cool and dry. They will keep in a tin for around a week or more. Their squidgy centres are perhaps even better a day after baking. You can put candid peel on top before cooking, or you could top with an almond flake or whole almond.
Baking traditions at Christmas
The stories of Christmas baking are the source of many questions in quizzes. The food we eat at this time of year is inextricably linked to all sorts of traditions, bridging many cultures.
We’ve always enjoyed a feast, going back to the midwinter solstice feasts on 21 December in pagan times, symbolising the rebirth of the sun. Romans celebrated Saturnalia with a period of banqueting where masters often served meals to their servants, with stuffings for meats made from nuts and fruits.
From the time of the crusades, spices such as ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg were brought back to enhance the flavour of food, such as in this Yorkshire Spice Loaf. Almonds, too, have long been popular and, in many parts of Spain, turron is traditionally eaten around Christmas. Although the origins of marzipan are uncertain, it is thought to have been created in Eastern Europe. In Lübeck, bakers still sell marzipan pigs. The Dutch have a famous edible celebration wreath.
Whilst we are on the subject, here’s the lowdown on marzipan and almond paste. Marzipan has a higher ratio of sugar to almonds, whereas Almond Paste generally has equal quantities of ground almonds to sugar. Grandma made her own almond paste as a base cover for her Christmas cake before topping with royal icing or glace fruits.
I’ve been busy with homemade Christmas baking this week and already made Francesca’s wonderful Saffron Macaroons for family and friends to enjoy alongside our favourite homemade Mince pies.
Wishing everyone a very happy Christmas and see you in 2026 with more traditional recipes.
You can read more about Grandma Abson’s life and her passion for baking and recipes, and head over to Instagram @grandmaabson to see Meryl baking with her grandchildren.
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