Simple, soft and moreish macaroons. Makes 28-30. Will keep for 2-3 days in an airtight container.Taken from ‘Fay takes it easy’ by Fay Ripley.

Ingredients:

100g dark chocolate broken into pieces

200g ground almonds

10 caster sugar

1 heaped teaspoon cocoa powder

3 large egg whites

icing sugar for dusting

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C (fan) / 200 C / gas mark 6. Line a couple of baking trays with baking paper.

2. Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Cool.

3. Mix the ground almonds, sugar and cocoa in a large bowl. In another bowl whisk the egg whites until soft peaks then gently add to the chocolate mixture and fold the 2 mixtures together.

4. With damp hands, roll a conker sized ball of the dough and pop each one on the lined tray. Bake for 15 minutes, coll for 5-10 minutes before easing off the paper and dusting with icing sugar.