Almond macaroons...

I've had an eventful week.

Another visit to the local hospital curtesy of the blue flashing light brigade, and very nice they were too. I was much more sociable after an arm full of morphine!

The health stuff is boring. I do hate that blooming place. It was particularly hot on this occasion. Coming home wasn't a moment too soon.

I thought I'd recuperate with a trip down memory lane. Does anyone remember those large round macaroons with the whole almond on top? Why don't they do those anymore? When I was small my Nan used to take me shopping and we would usually stop at a bakery (Nan would always say that Grandad deserved a treat but I reckon she liked a treat just as much!). I thought that shopping in a bakery was the height of luxury since Mum did most of her shopping in a supermarket. I got to choose a cake or biscuit and I would always choose the macaroon. Yum!

This is the simplest recipe which uses just ground almonds, sugar and crushed cardomom seeds. I was supposed to roll them in rose watered hands, but c'mon rosewater! Not in my kitchen cupboard at the moment but I'm sure Nigella would have some in hers!

The recipe didn't mention that they don't spread that much. I was hoping for an exact replica according to my childhood memory thank you very much! Next time I will squish them down a lot more, make them almost the shape and size they are supposed to end up.

Have you spotted the rogue pecan? I ran out of almonds! They weren't bad at all. Even Ella approved but she said she'd prefer them without the cardomom. Fair enough.