Cardamom & cashew macaroons

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment. Crush the cardamom pods using a pestle and mortar, until the seeds are released. Discard the shells. Heat a small, dry frying pan and toast the seeds for a couple of minutes. Return to the mortar and crush to a coarse powder.

2. Blend 100g of the cashew nuts in a food processor until they’re as fine as ground almonds. Roughly chop the remainder.

3. Whisk the egg whites in a thoroughly clean bowl until they form peaks. Gradually whisk in the sugar, a tablespoonful at a time. Add the ground cardamom with the last of the sugar. Stir in the ground cashews.

4. Drop dessert spoonfuls of the mixture onto the baking sheet, spacing them slightly apart. Sprinkle with the chopped cashews.

5. Bake for about 20 minutes until lightly coloured and beginning to crisp. Leave for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.