Mango and cardamom filled macarons

To begin, make the macaron shells. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper and have ready 2 piping bags fitted with a plain round tip

Sift together the ground almonds and icing sugar to remove any large chunks or lumps. Using a free-standing mixer with whisk attachment or a hand mixer, whisk the egg whites until frothy

Add the caster sugar bit-by-bit, while continuously beating, until soft peaks form (it should hold its peak shape when you lift the whisk up). What I've learnt is, it’s better to over-beat the egg white than under-beat it, so if you're in doubt, just keep beating until it’s really stiff. If using a free-standing mixer, this job is done in a matter of 5 minutes. A hand mixer might take longer

Add the meringue into the almond and sugar mix and fold it in using a spatula, starting from the bottom and continuing to the top until you get a smooth, even mixture. Go easy on the folding - it’s better to be under-folded than the other way round because you can fix the under-folding, whereas if the batter becomes too loose then your macarons will end up distorted

Before you mix the batter completely, separate it into 2 batches. In one batch, add the orange food colour and to the other either add white colour or keep as it is. Of course, you can add whichever colour you prefer

Continue to fold until the colour is evenly spread. It’s better to use gel colour than liquid, because the liquid ones can alter the consistency of the batter

When the batter falls back in ribbons when you lift the spatula, and after about a minute or so if the ribbon shape has disappeared, then you are good to go. If it doesn't, then give a couple more folds and do the test again

Pour the 2 coloured batters into each of the prepared piping bags and pipe away, leaving about 2 inches gap between the shells

Set aside to dry for 20-30 minutes. Again, this completely varies. I've found that if the batter is towards the looser side, then it takes longer to dry and if it’s thicker, it will dry in about 15 minutes. Humidity also slows the process of drying. To test, lightly touch the piped batter with your little finger and if it sticks, that means you need to leave it longer. If it’s slightly hard and dry, then you are good to go. If you don't let it dry enough, your macarons won’t come out with good ‘feet’

Towards the last 10 minutes, preheat the oven to 140°C/gas mark 1

Once the time is up, place the tray in the middle rack and bake for 12-15 minutes, until crisp. If your macarons are undercooked, they become crinkled and hollow on top and will be too delicate to handle. So if you are a first timer, over-baking it a bit to be on the safer side is acceptable, but take care not to burn them

Once done, cool on a rack completely before doing the filling

To make the filling, gently fold together the cream cheese, sugar, mango pulp and cardamom powder in a mixing bowl. Make sure the mixture doesn't become too loose

Add more cream if your desired consistency is not reached and whisk again. Transfer the mix to a piping bag

To finish the macarons, pair up the shells into matching sizes. Pipe the filling onto half of the shells and sandwich them together

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve. They taste much much better once they have moistened in the fridge for a day