Congolais à l’orgeat

( Coconut macaroons with orgeat syrup )

These little biscuits follow straight after the macaron recipe, because I wanted to clarify the point that macarons and macaroons are actually two distinctly different things, however similar their names might be when translated in English. Both the traditional Nancy macaron and the more famous Gerbert macaron are made with almond meal, while macaroons are made with coconut.

The coconut macaroon is not actually a French creation, but a typically Anglo-Saxon one, said to have originated from Scotland in the 1930s. They quickly spread to Germany and the Netherlands, then to North America and Australia before finding their well-deserved spot on the shelves of almost every bakery in France. They are amazingly simple to bake, packed full of fibre and, more importantly, they are just delectable.

Makes about 20

150 g (5½ oz) shredded coconut

¹/₈ teaspoon fine salt

60 g (2¼ oz) egg whites (about 2)

2 teaspoons honey

150 g (5½ oz) caster (superfine) sugar

½ teaspoon natural vanilla extract

2 tablespoons orgeat syrup

L Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a baking tray with baking paper or a silicone mat.

L Put the coconut and salt in a large heatproof bowl. Put the egg whites, honey, sugar, vanilla and orgeat syrup in a saucepan and whisk continuously over low heat just until the mixture feels tepid to the touch (about 45°C/115°F). Pour the sugar mixture onto the coconut and mix with a spatula until well combined.

L Take small handfuls of the mixture and roll into 3–4 cm (1¼–1½ in) balls, then place on the lined tray. Unlike tuiles or florentines, macaroons will not spread during baking so you can place them close together, but not touching. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the coconut shreds on top of the macaroons begin to brown.

L Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. If your macaroons stick to the baking paper, simply wet the underside of the paper with a pastry brush or a very wet cloth. After a few minutes, you will be able to remove the macaroons from the paper. Macaroons are best eaten fresh, but will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Orgeat syrup is available in large supermarkets or specialist delicatessens and is often sold as almond syrup. It is made by blending almonds, bitter almonds, sugar and a small amount of orange blossom water. The syrup can be mixed with water as a refreshing drink, mixed with alcoholic beverages to make cocktails such as Mauresque and Mai Tai, or with fruit juices such as orange and banana or mango and peach. Forget the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, my seventh wonder of the world is a small patch of grass in Provence in summer, where I can lay in a long chair wearing a straw hat, listening to cicadas and sipping on a cold orange, banana and orgeat cocktail.