macaroons

Amira,

I usally take a basic recipe and add the flavorings I like.
I like this recipe.
2 egg whites
a little salt
2/3 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut.
For lemon I would add some candies lemon zest,for coffee I would leave out the vanilla and add espresso in it's place. I have never done them with raspberries,but I have done them with dried cranberries,currants or raisons.
cc
PS,There are some very talented pastry folks on this site who I'm sure will be more helpful :)

Amira,

As always, the more specific the topic, the better we can help. ;)

Check here for plenty of macaroon recipes you can browse with fillings. (more pages at the bottom)

You can use any buttercream frosting you with to fill any of the macaroon cookie recipes.

Here it is:

1 lb 5 oz (600 g)almond flour
2 lb 4 oz (1040 g)sifted powdered sugar
1 1/2 oz (40 g)apricot jam
5 oz (160 g)egg whites
11 oz (300 g) egg whites for whipping
dash of cream of tartar
7 oz (200 g) sugar (for whipping whites)

Sift together almond flour and powdered sug.

Mix apricot jam and the first egg whites, then mix it with the almond mixture.

Whip the whites, sugar, and tartar to stiff.

Fold in 2 stages.

It should be slightly runny.

Pipe onto parchment, and dry 20 min before baking.

Bake @ 350 F.

When they are baked, immediately pour water under the paper, and tilt the pan back and forth to spread the water under the cookies. This will create steam, which softens the bottoms, so you can stick them together. Be careful not to add too much water, as this will waterlog your macaroons.

When they cool, you can sandwich them together. Here, I usually squirt a bit more apricot in between for more flavor, but you don't have to.

You can substitute pistachios for the almonds, or add cocoa, or you can substitute raspberry for the apricot, and a drop of red color.

There you have classic Parisian macaroons.

Good luck!

Iwas hoping someone would bring this up. I make a LOT of almond macaroons, and they are a no-brainer at this point. But yesterday I tried making lemon gerbet macaroons from the French Cookie Book and was a little perplexed at the result. they didn't look a thing like the picture. The recipe says make the batter a little soft or runny, so they won't crack in the oven, and it had the same drill of running the water under the paper to get them off, but last night I was looking at a Pierre Herme book, and I think it was in there, it said you only need to do that if you are using blank newsprint for pan liners, not with silicone treated paper. I find popping the sheet pan in the freezer for a couple of minutes is easier. What's the deal with letting them sit for 20 minutes? Does the top dry out a little and give that glossy look. The filling for the ones I made was butter mixed with lemon rind and a little almond/sugar powder. I splurged yesterday and bought some valronha, and I never pay retail for chocolate, and made Pierre Herme's Riviera. Fabulous cake.

Who in the US uses balnk newsprint as a pan-liner? I never have, and I would think that it is much more absorbent, so certainly, you would water-log the macaroons. The quilon treated parchment that I use does absorb water, but just a small amount.


It is entirely up to you if you want to skip the water step all together. You may choose to just fill them. That's fine, but it will seem more like a slippery sandwich, rather than a solid cookie.

Yes, letting them sit 20 min. gives them a smooth crust that doesn't crack on top.

Hi,

I've tried countless macaroon recipes over the years. My favorite at this time would definately be Hermes'!!!! Try it you like it!! He uses powdered egg whites in addition to fresh. I find it very helpful because I can adjust the amount of dried whites to stiffen my batter on humid days or if the brand of almond paste is moister than others. For instance once we had this brand of almond paste that was so moist I could hardly add any egg whites and hope the cookie would hold it's piped shape.


I pipe on silpats and freeze them after baking to release (works perfectly everytime).

For fillings I make one batch of butter cream then portion it into several bowls. Use several different flavoring pastes/compounds and add chopped nuts into some for even more for variety.

Have him try either J.B. Prince or Bridge Kitchenware. :)

Todah rabbah (thanks very much), Amira, for bringing up this topic. I needed some interesting Passover recipes, and these all appear to be usable for our seder. (Assuming I can use cream of tartar).

I made the smooth French macaroons from Nick Malgieri's cookie book today and was verey happy with them. He says they're from Payard, so I looked in his book, but they are not in there.

6 oz almonds
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
grind together

4 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
2 tb h20
make swiss meringue

beat meringue till cool then fold in tpt and coloring if desired. Pipe, and let sit for one hour, then bake at 300 double panned for 10-12 min. I found they needed closer to 14 min. I made them pink and sandwiched them with Hero raspberry. They made a melting soft cookie that looked pretty much like what I wanted.

Try this one: Makes 22 2-1/4" cookies

Ingredients
4 large egg whites
3 cups sweetened shredded coconut (9 ounces)
3/4 cup sugar (i use superfine)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (the real thing)
Scant 1/4 teaspoon salt

Equipment
2 cookie sheets, lined with parchment paper.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.

Combine all of the ingredients in a large heatproof mixing bowl, preferably stainless steel, because the ingredients heat up faster than in glass. Set the bowl in a skillet of barely simmering water and stir the mixture, scraping the bottom to prevent burning, until it is very hot to the touch and the egg whites have thickened, about 6 to 7 minutes. It is ready when a scoop of batter on the cookie sheet holds a soft shape without a puddle of syrup forming around it.

Scoop 2 tablespoons of the mixture about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheets. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies and the protruding coconut shreds are deep golden brown. Rotate the sheets from front to back and upper to lower about halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking. Slide the parchment onto a rack. Cool the cookies completely before removing them from the paper. The cookies are most delicious on the day they are baked--the exterior is crisp and chewy and the interior is soft and moist. The cookies will soften. May be stored, airtight, for 4 to 5 days. :D

I should have mentioned that this recipe is from "Cookies and Brownies", Alice Medrich.

It's a great little book.

[ March 16, 2001: Message edited by: pooh ]

Mezz.,

If you don't have kosher for Passover cream of tartar, don't worry. It just gives the whites a little bit more body. But it is not an essential ingredient.

Hi, can you share the recipe for the Riviera? Thanks! :talk: