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Andr Baranowski
A heady mixture of olive oil and candied oranges flavors this moist, dense Sicilian dessert.
The recipe is based on one in The Perfect Finish: Special Desserts for Every Occasion by Bill
Yosses and Melissa Clark (W. W. Norton, 2010).
serves 10-12

Ingredients
2 oranges
2 13 cups sugar
Unsalted butter, for greasing the pan
2 12 cups flour, plus more for pan
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 eggs
6 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1
4 cup fresh orange juice
1
4 cup confectioners' sugar
Sea salt, for garnish

Instructions
Trim about 12" from the tops and bottoms of oranges; quarter oranges lengthwise. Bring 6
cups water to a boil in a 4-qt. saucepan; add oranges. Bring water back to a boil; drain.
Repeat boiling process twice more with fresh water. Put oranges, 1 cup sugar, and 4 cups
water into a 4-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring often, until sugar dissolves
and orange rind can be easily pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes. Remove pan from heat
and let cool to room temperature.
Heat oven to 350. Grease a 10" round cake pan with butter and dust with flour; line pan
bottom with parchment paper cut to fit. Set pan aside. Whisk together flour, baking powder,
and baking soda in a medium bowl and set aside. Remove orange quarters from syrup,
remove and discard any seeds, and put oranges into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until
oranges form a chunky pure, 10 to 12 pulses. Add remaining sugar, reserved flour mixture,
vanilla, and eggs and process until incorporated, about 2 minutes. Add olive oil; process until
combined. Pour batter into prepared pan; bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out
clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk orange juice and confectioners' sugar to make a thin glaze. Remove
cake from pan and transfer to a cake stand or plate. Using a pastry brush, brush orange glaze
over top and sides of cake; let cool completely. Garnish cake with salt.

Traeger's Bakery in Demopolis, Alabama first popularized these soft spice cookies, which are
named for their hard cinnamon glaze that glistens like a glossy turtle shell. Though the bakery
and its recipeswere lost to a fire in the 90s, residents of Demopolis continue to bake
versions of the treats, refining and tweaking the recipe in an attempt to replicate the original.
This interpretation, filled with chopped pecans and spiced with cinnamon and cardamom,
comes to us from writer Meredith Bethune.
Featured in: Turtleback Cookies: Alabama's Almost-Lost Recipe makes 32 cookies
Ingredients
1 12 cups all-purpose flour
1

2 cup chopped pecans

1 14 tsp. ground cinnamon

1

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. ground cardamom

2 tsp. kosher salt

4 cup brown sugar

2 cup granulated sugar

20 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

1 12 tsp. vanilla extract

2 eggs
1 12 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tbsp. heavy cream
Instructions
Combine flour, pecans, 1 tsp. cinnamon, baking soda, cardamom, and 14 tsp.
salt; set aside. Combine 12 cup brown sugar, granulated sugar, 16 tbsp. butter,
and 1 tsp. vanilla in a large bowl; beat on medium-high speed with a hand mixer
until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well
after each addition; add dry ingredients; beat on low speed until just
combined. Cover the dough and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, whisk remaining cinnamon and salt, plus the powdered sugar in a
bowl; set aside. Place remaining butter and brown sugar in a 2-qt. saucepan over
medium, stirring constantly; boil. Remove from heat and stir in remaining vanilla
and the cream. Using a mixer, add the powdered sugar mixture and blend until
icing is completely smooth.
Heat oven to 350. Roll dough into 1 12 balls and flatten into circles about 12
thick. Bake for 25 minutes, until browned around the edges; cool. Top each
cookie with a thin layer of icing, spread almost to the edge (about 1 tablespoon
of icing should suffice). Allow the icing to harden completely before serving.

Author Notes: Of all the cookies you will bake and eat during the holidays (and beyond),
this is the one people will remember. They're fine and sandy like a sabl, but with a friendly,
soft chew, a bit like American chocolate chip. They're made up of well-salted, well-buttered
cocoa dough, with generous pockets and wisps of chocolate feeding through. "I've seen
World Peace Cookies made with peanut-butter chips, with cinnamon, with icing, and with
gluten-free flours. I've seen them huge and small," Greenspan said. "I don't think you can do
much to make them better and happily, there's little you can do to ruin them. Except overbake
them." If in doubt, pull them out early -- they'll firm up as they cool. Adapted slightly from
Baking: From My Home to Yours (Houghton Mifflin, 2006). (less) Genius Recipes
Makes about 36 cookies

1 1/4 cups (175 grams) all-purpose flour (see note)

1/3 cup (30 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder (see note)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 stick plus 3 tablespoons (150 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

2/3 cup (120 grams) packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon fleur del sel or 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

5 ounces (150 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chips (no pieces larger than
1/3 inch), or a generous 3/4 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips

1. Note: If measuring by volume, it's important to measure the flour and cocoa lightly, as
follows: stir flour briefly in the container or bag, spoon into the measuring cup until
it's heaped above the rim, then level it with a straight-edged knife or spatula. If you
dip the measuring cup into the container, you'll have more flour and cocoa and a drier,
crumblier, more difficult dough.
2. Sift the flour, cocoa and baking soda together.
3. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand
mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add
both sugars, the salt and vanilla extract and beat for 2 minutes more.
4. Turn off the mixer. Pour in the dry ingredients, drape a kitchen towel over the stand
mixer to protect yourself and your kitchen from flying flour and pulse the mixer at
low speed about 5 times, a second or two each time. Take a peek if there is still a
lot of flour on the surface of the dough, pulse a couple of times more; if not, remove

the towel. Continuing at low speed, mix for about 30 seconds more, just until the flour
disappears into the dough for the best texture, work the dough as little as possible
once the flour is added, and don't be concerned if the dough looks a little crumbly.
Toss in the chocolate pieces and mix only to incorporate.
5. Turn the dough out onto a work surface, gather it together and divide it in half.
Working with one half at a time, shape the dough into logs that are 1 1/2 inches in
diameter. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate them for at least 3 hours. (The
dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months. If you've
frozen the dough, you needn't defrost it before baking just slice the logs into
cookies and bake the cookies 1 minute longer.)
6. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 F. Line two baking sheets with
parchment or silicone mats.
7. Using a sharp thin knife, slice the logs into rounds that are 1/2 inch thick. (The rounds
are likely to crack as you're cutting them don't be concerned, just squeeze the bits
back onto each cookie.) Arrange the rounds on the baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch
between them.
8. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 12 minutes they won't look done, nor will
they be firm, but that's just the way they should be. Transfer the baking sheet to a
cooling rack and let the cookies rest until they are only just warm, at which point you
can serve them or let them reach room temperature.

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Farideh Sadeghin
Test kitchen director Farideh Sadeghin fell in love with Tim Tams while traveling through
Australia in 2006. These chocolate biscuitsnow available in the U.S., exclusively at Target
are perfect added to a pavlova, a New Zealand specialty made of egg whites. The thing that
differentiates this classic kiwi dessert from a meringue is the addition of vinegar: it helps give
the outside a lovely crunchy shell, while the inside remains soft. This recipe calls to make one
large pavlova, but you could make smaller individual ones if you like.
Featured in: The Best Way to Eat a Tim Tam
serves 8-10
Ingredients
6 egg whites
1 23 cups sugar
1 tbsp. cocoa powder
2 tsp. corn starch
1 14 tsp. white vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 (7 oz.) packet Tim Tam Original, lightly crushed

Whipped cream, for serving

Instructions
Preheat oven to 300. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Using an electric hand mixer, beat whites while slowly adding sugar until stiff
peaks form. Add cocoa powder, cornstarch, vinegar, and vanilla and beat until
glossy and thick. Gently fold in all but 12 cup Tim Tams. Spread onto prepared
baking sheet into a 10" x 8" rectangle, about 3" thick; reduce oven temperature
to 250 and bake for 2 hours, or until cooked through. Turn off oven and let cool
in oven with door ajar. Serve with whipped cream over the top and remaining Tim
Tams sprinkled over.

612

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Todd Coleman
This exceptionally moist quick bread is based on a recipe from Judy Mims, the mother of
food editor Ben Mims. Ben was inspired to revisit his mom's recipe after reading Dan
Koeppel's fascinating story about the history and fate of bananas, "Fruit of the Future" (May
2010).
serves 6-8
Ingredients
Butter, for greasing pan
1 cup flour, plus more for pan
3

4 tsp. baking soda

4 tsp. kosher salt

1 cup sugar
1

2 cup canola oil

3 cup buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
2

3 cup chopped pecans

3 very ripe bananas, mashed

Instructions
Heat oven to 350. Grease a 9" x 5" x 2" loaf pan with butter and dust with
flour; set pan aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
Whisk together sugar, oil, buttermilk, vanilla, egg, and egg yolk in a medium
bowl until smooth. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and whisk until just
combined. Add pecans and mashed bananas and whisk gently to combine. Pour
batter into prepared pan and bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in
the middle of the loaf comes out clean, 6065 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes
before slicing and serving.

Author Notes: This is another excuse to eat good bread in the guise of a "salad," one of my
favorite ploys. I pan-fry the croutons so they're crispy, yet soft, and f (more) Laurie
Food52 Review: The croutons were oh-so-crispy! The mix of ingredients was good. Next
time, I might include even more vegetables in the salad, like peppers or cucumbe (more)
feastathome
Serves 2-4
Croutons

1 medium loaf high-quality crusty bread, preferably white

6 tablespoons olive oil

Pinch kosher salt

Salad

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon capers, drained

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, broken into small chunks

1 pinch red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1-2 tablespoons red onion, sliced thinly

1. Cut most of the crust off of the bread and discard or save for another use. Cut the
bread into 1-inch cubes. You should have about 4 cups.
2. Heat a large heavy saut pan over medium-high heat. You want the croutons to fit in
one layer with room in between to flip. You may have to fry the bread in two batches.
When the pan is hot, add olive oil (just 3 tablespoons if you're only doing half), and
when the oil is hot, add the cubes of bread in one layer (they should sizzlebut make
sure they don't burn). After 2 minutes or so, when the undersides of the croutons are

nicely brown, flip each crouton. Cook for another few minutes until brown and flip
onto a plate.
3. Combine all the salad ingredients, toss, and let sit for 15 minutes, stirring
occasionally. Then add the croutons. You could serve on a bed of arugula or basil, but
it really doesn't need it.

952

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Andr Baranowski
Spreading cream cheese into the layers of dough enhances the richness and moistness of these
rolls. This dough may be prepared a day in advance and left to rise in the refrigerator
overnight. This illustrated step-by-step guide shows you how to make this dish.
makes 8 rolls
4 hours
For the Dough
1 (14-oz.) package active dry yeast
1

4 cup plus 12 tsp. sugar

2 cup milk, at room temperature

2 tbsp. light brown sugar

1

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 34 cups flour, sifted, plus more for kneading
3

4 tsp. fine salt

8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan
For the Filling and Serving
1

2 cup sugar

4 cup dark brown sugar

4 cup finely chopped pecans

4 cup finely chopped walnuts

4 cup raisins

1 tbsp. ground cinnamon

1

2 tsp. fine salt

8 tsp. ground cloves

2 tbsp. maple syrup

4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

8 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
Buttermilk Glaze
Instructions
Make the dough: In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a hook, combine
yeast, 12 tsp. of the sugar, and 14 cup water heated to 115. Stir to combine and
let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add remaining sugar, milk, light brown
sugar, vanilla, egg, and egg yolk. Beat on low speed until thoroughly combined, 1
minute. Turn mixer off and add the flour and salt. Mix on medium speed until the
dough just comes together. Turn mixer speed to high and knead dough for 4
minutes. Add the butter and continue kneading until dough is smooth and pulls
away from the side of the bowl, about 6 minutes. Remove bowl from the mixer,
cover with plastic wrap, and set aside in a warm place. Let the dough rise for 1
1
22 hours, until it has doubled in size.
Meanwhile, make the filling: Combine the sugar, dark brown sugar, pecans,
walnuts, raisins, cinnamon, salt, and cloves in a large bowl; stir to combine. Stir
in the maple syrup. Set filling aside.
Punch the dough down and turn it out onto a heavily floured surface. Gently
knead the dough until it's no longer sticky, adding more flour as necessary,
about 1 minute. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a 10" x 10" square.
In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese with a rubber spatula until it's smooth
and spreadable. Spread the cream cheese evenly over the dough square; then
fold square into thirds as you would fold a letter to fit it into an envelope. Take
the open ends of the resulting rectangle and fold into thirds again, to make a
smaller dough square. Invert the dough so that the seam is face down and, using
the rolling pin, gently roll into a 10" x 20" rectangle.
urn the dough so that the short sides are parallel to you. Brush the top of the
dough with half of the melted butter. Drizzle the reserved filling over the dough,
leaving a 1" border at the edge farthest away from you. Lightly press the filling
into the dough. Using your hands, lift up the bottom edge of the dough and roll it
forward into a tight cylinder. Place dough cylinder, seam side down, on a cutting
board and, using a thin, sharp knife, trim off the ends; cut cylinder crosswise into
8 equal-size slices. Nestle the slices, cut sides up and evenly spaced from one
another, into a buttered 9" x 13" light-colored metal baking pan. Cover pan with
plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to let rise for 2 hours. (Alternatively,
the rolls may be refrigerated overnight.)
Heat oven to 375. Uncover the rolls. (If refrigerated, let them sit at room
temperature for 15 minutes.) Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in
the center of the rolls comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
Transfer the pan of cinnamon rolls to a cooling rack; brush with remaining melted
butter. Let cool for 5 minutes while you make the Buttermilk Glaze. Dip the tines
of a fork into the glaze and drizzle all over the rolls. Serve immediately.

This recipe accompanied Rita Williams's essay "A Giving Tree" (April 2008). We based this
stalwart recipe on one from baking maven Maida Heatter, and we really do think it is the best
damn Meyer lemon cake we've ever had. For the best results, use a light-colored metal loaf
pan. A dark-colored loaf pan will cause the cake to over brown; while glass or Pyrex loaf
pans do not conduct heat as well as metal.
SERVES 8 10
INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp. butter, plus 8 tbsp. melted

2 tbsp. fine dry bread crumbs
cup whole blanched almonds
1 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
tsp. fine salt
1⅓ cups plus 2 tbsp. sugar
2 eggs
cup milk, at room temperature
2 tbsp. lemon extract
Zest and juice of 2 Meyer lemons
INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat oven to 350. Grease a loaf pan measuring 8" x 4" x 2" with 1 tbsp. of the butter
and dust it with the bread crumbs. Invert and tap out excess crumbs; set aside. In a food
processor, grind the almonds until very fine, about 1 minute; set aside. In a bowl, sift together
flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

2. Put the remaining butter into a large bowl and add 1 cup of the sugar. Mix with an electric
mixer on low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just
long enough to incorporate, about 30 seconds. Add the flour mixture and milk mixture in 3
batches, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat until mixed after each addition, scraping
down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, about 3 minutes total. Mix in the lemon
extract. With the spatula, fold in the lemon zest and ground almonds. (The mixture will be
thin.) Turn batter into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the
cake comes out clean and dry, about 65 minutes.
3. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack. Prepare the glaze: Combine remaining sugar and lemon
juice in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring, until sugar is dissolved, about
2 minutes. (Do not boil.) Brush the glaze over the hot cake. (The excess liquid may pool
along the sides of the pan; it will absorb completely as it sits.) Once the cake has absorbed all
the liquid, turn it out of the pan and allow it to cool upright on a rack. Once it's cool, wrap the
cake with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 24 hours before serving.

Author Notes: This classic New England bread is sweetened slightly with molasses and
flecked with cornmeal. It's chewy with a nice spring and makes an excellent toasting or
sandwich bread. (less) Posie Harwood
Makes 1 loaf

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed

2 teaspoons salt

4 tablespoons butter, divided

1 cup milk

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons coarse yellow cornmeal

1/3 cup warm water

5 tablespoons molasses

1 envelope active dry yeast

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl, combine the flour and salt.
2. In a small saucepan, mix together 2 tablespoons of the butter with the milk and bring
to a simmer. Add the 1/2 cup of cornmeal and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute.
Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

3. Add the cornmeal mush to the bowl of flour and mix to combine well.
4. In a small cup, combine the warm water, molasses, and yeast. Pour the liquid into the
flour mixture and beat until it comes together in a smooth, non-sticky dough. This will
take about 10 minutes and is much easier to do in a stand mixer than by hand. If you
feel that the dough is too sticky after 5 minutes, add a few teaspoons of flour.
5. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise in a
warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours. Use the "finger poke" test
to see if it has risen enough. (Press a finger about an inch into the dough. If the
imprint of your finger stays, the dough is ready. If the dough springs back and fills in
the hole slightly, it needs to keep rising.)
6. Take the dough out and press it into a rectangle, no thicker than 1 inch and no longer
than 9 inches. Fold the dough in thirds lengthwise and pinch the seam closed. Place
the shaped loaf in a greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pan and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise
until doubled in size.
7. Once the dough has risen, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and brush it over
the surface of the loaf. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of cornmeal.
8. Bake the loaf in a 350 F oven for 40 to 45 minutes. The crust should be golden
brown. Let the loaf cool for at least 15 minutes in the pan, then turn it out onto a rack
to finish cooling.

uthor Notes: I once had a delicious, sweet breakfast bread for brunch that had currants and
sausage hidden inside. I thought it would be a great breakfast on-the-go or even better toasted
in butter and enjoyed with coffee at home. Over time, I have reduced the sugar and added in
some heartier items like oats and walnuts. The result is a slightly sweet, dense breakfast bread
with a lot of zucchini and sustaining love folded in. I make two loaves and freeze the slices to
thaw and enjoy as needed.
A note on the zucchini: I usually shred, salt, drain, and freeze our garden zucchini in cupcake
tins. When thawed, they yield even more liquid. I doubt you could get as much liquid out
using fresh zucchini which I imagine might yield a moister bread. I have also used whole
wheat pastry flour which makes a lighter bread, but I actually prefer the toothiness of this
version. (less) savorthis
Food52 Review: This dense, moist quick bread is perfect for breakfast and mid-meal snacks,
either at home or on the go. The savory sausage is perfectly balanced by hints of brown sugar,
while the walnuts add a pleasant texture and green flecks of shredded zucchini make this
bread lovely to look at. The recipe makes two loaves and its a good thingone doesnt last
long. (less) cakesy

Makes 2 loaves

1 pound flavorful breakfast sausage

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup quick-cooking oats

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup neutral oil

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/3 cup brown sugar

4 tablespoons granulated white sugar

2 cups shredded, drained, packed zucchini

1 cup walnuts, toasted then ground

1. Preheat the oven to 350. In a pan, brown the sausage well, drain on a paper towel,
and crumble into small pieces.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and oats.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, oil, yogurt, and sugars. Stir in the zucchini,
then add the mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined. Fold in the nuts
and sausage and pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake for about 50 to 60 minutes or
until a toothpick comes out clean.
4. Enjoy as is, or brown slices of the bread in butter

makes ABOUT 4 DOZEN

Ingredients
16 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
6 tbsp. plus 1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 34 cups flour
2 cups finely chopped pecans
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions
Heat oven to 275. Using a hand mixer, whip butter and 6 tbsp. sugar in a bowl until fluffy.
Slowly add flour; beat until combined. Stir in pecans and vanilla. Shape dough into 34" balls;
place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake, rotating sheets halfway, until cookies
are set, 2530 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool. Place remaining 1 cup sugar
in a shallow dish; roll cookies in sugar until completely coated.

Macaroon
INGREDIENTS

175g icing sugar

125g ground almonds

3 large free-range egg whites

75g caster sugar

For the filling

150g butter, softened

75g icing sugar

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METHOD
1. 01.Preheat the oven to 160C/fan140C/gas 3. Whizz the icing sugar and
ground almonds in a food processor to a very fine mixture, then sift into a
bowl.
2. 02.In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt to soft
peaks, then gradually whisk in the caster sugar until thick and glossy. (At
this point you can stir in flavour extract, such as peppermint or lemon, and
corresponding colouring such as blue or yellow, to your meringue mixture,
depending on what kind of macaroons you want see chef's tip. Or divide
the meringue among different bowls if you want to make more than one
colour.)
3. 03.Fold half the almond and icing sugar mixture into the meringue and
mix well. Add the remaining half, making sure you use a spatula to cut and
fold the mixture until it is shiny and has a thick, ribbon-like consistency as
it falls from the spatula. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain
nozzle.
4. 04.Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper. Pipe small rounds of the
macaroon mixture, about 3cm across, onto the baking sheets. Give the
baking sheets a sharp tap on the work surface to ensure a good foot.
Leave to stand at room temperature for 10-15 minutes to form a slight
skin. This is important you should be able to touch them lightly without
any mixture sticking to your finger. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the
oven and cool.
5. 05.Meanwhile, make the filling/s (unless making chocolate macaroons
see chef's tip). In a bowl, beat the butter until light and fluffy, then beat in
the icing sugar. (You can now add flavouring or nuts, and colour see food
team's tip.) Use to sandwich pairs of macaroons together.

Macaroons taste wonderful plain, but why not add flavouring and
colouring. Flavour extracts such as raspberry, lemon and peppermint
and colourings are available in supermarkets and cake shops. Try squiresshop.com to buy online.
To flavour and colour your macaroons, in step 2, add around tsp flavour
extract, then add the appropriate colouring, a drop at a time, until you
reach the desired intensity. Flavour and colour the buttercream in the
same way.
For chocolate macaroons, replace a quarter of the icing sugar with cocoa
powder and use Nutella as the filling. For pistachio macaroons, replace half
the ground almonds with ground pistachios (whizz in a blender or finely
chop by hand), and use green food colouring to achieve a pastel green.
Fold chopped pistachios through the filling, if you like.