Almond Macaroons

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Usually when people think of macaroons, they think of coconut macaroons. Almond macaroons originated in Venice, Italy, and are tasty bite size treats that are easy to make. Just this past Christmas, the Los Angeles Times had a cookie contest and asked several restaurants to send in cookies recipes. An almond macaroon filled with a flavored ganache was in the top ten. These cookies are light, sweet, and when wrapped in a colored cellophane, make an attractive gift.

Get Your Mixer Out

You are going to need your stand mixer and some parchment paper. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and as it warms up, get together:

7 ounces of almond paste
2 1/2 ounces confectioner’s sugar
2 1/2 ounces granulated sugar
1 ounce pastry flour
1 1/2 ounces egg whites (about three eggs worth)

In your stand mixer, mix the almond paste and the sugars together until they are blended well.
Add the pastry flour.
Slowly add the egg whites so that no lumps form.
Mix ingredients until it reaches a creamy consistency.
Using a piping bag, pipe out quarter size rounds onto your cookie sheets or sheet pans.
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until golden brown.
Remove from oven and let cool.
Invert the parchment paper onto another parchment paper.

Now Fill Them

The best part of almond macaroons is the filling. The cookies themselves are tasty, but the filling you add can make them wonderful. Once the cookies are cooled, you can add the filling of your choice and use that to glue two of the cookies together. Some people like to make a ganache while other prefer lemon curd to fill their cookies. Even a buttercream will add a creamy sweetness to your almond macaroon. A quick and easy way to fill your cookies is to use any jams you happen to have in the house. This is a fun way to get the kids involved with making the cookies.