Sublime coffee macarons

Forget tiramisu; these are perfect in every way. Serve them after dinner or with afternoon coffee for total perfection.

For about 15 macarons (when sandwiched):

Preheat the oven to 170C

120g icing sugar

60g ground almonds

5g good instant coffee granules

5g good cocoa powder

- all whizzed together in a food processor and passed though a sieve into a big bowl

60g egg whites (about 2 eggs whites)

40g caster sugar

- beaten together with electric beaters until firm and shiny - stiff peaks - but not dry

Fold the egg white into the dry mixture in three goes, to obtain a thoroughly mixed (BUT NOT OVERMIXED) "molten-lava" texture (see Macarons:an addiction post below for full description). Spoon into a piping bag and pipe small discs a few centimetres apart on baking sheets lined with Bake-O-Glide or baking parchment.

Rap the sheets firmly against the work surface to pop any air bubbles in the macarons, and leave for 15 minutes for a "skin" to form - you can barely see it but it stops the macaron shell from cracking in the oven. They should look like this:

Bake for about 8 minutes so that little frilly "feet" have formed at the base of the macarons and, when gently lifted (after being out of the oven a couple of minutes), the macarons come off the parchment leaving no sticky residue behind, with a flat base.

Whilst they are cooling, make the buttercream filling. Prepare a strong espresso (fresh, "real" coffee this time not instant) and allow it to cool. Cream together 2 parts icing sugar - about 100g - to 1 part butter (softened, unsalted), and when firm, add two tablespoons of espresso. Chill for a bit if it's too soft.

Pipe a blob onto one flat side of a macaron and sandwich it together with another (the same shape if your circles, like mine, aren't all uniform).

Serve on the side of a good espresso.