The Bouchon Bakery in Beverly Hills does a very American peanut butter jelly macaron filling and, although I enjoyed a macaron masterclass with pastry chef Lee Ann Tolentino, they are too fiddly for me. I have made a much more forgiving kiss — what have become known as LA kisses in my home.
For more, see Eating LA, my guide to feasting on some of the newer food trends in the City of Angels.
For the biscuits
115 g | Butter |
⅓ cup | Caster sugar |
1 | Egg |
2 tsp | Golden syrup |
1 cup | Flour |
½ tsp | Baking powder |
1 Tbsp | Matcha (green tea) powder, or use cocoa powder; use more to taste if wished |
½ tsp | Baking soda, dissolved in 1 Tbsp warm water |
1 jar | Jam, use as much as needed for filling (Main) |
For the filling
2 Tbsp | Peanut butter, smooth (Main) |
1 Tbsp | Butter, softened |
1 ¼ cups | Icing sugar |
½ tsp | Vanilla essence |
Directions
To make the biscuits
- Heat the oven to 180C.
- Cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg and golden syrup.
- Sift in the flour, baking powder and matcha or cocoa. Add the baking soda dissolved in water and mix gently until just combined.
- Place teaspoonfuls on a baking tray lined with baking paper and cook 10-15 minutes.
- Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
- Pair kisses of similar sizes. Spread peanut butter icing around the outside of one of each pair, and place a spoonful of jam in the middle and sandwich together with the partner.
To make the filling
Mix ingredients together with enough boiling water (approx. 2 Tbsp) to make a smooth, creamy icing.