by robinbeth
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A&M's Testing Notes:
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100 grams
egg whites (about 3 eggs, left at room temperature for 24 hours)
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50 grams
granulated sugar
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125 grams
almond flour (Bob’s Red Mill, made from ground blanched almonds)
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175 grams
confectioners sugar
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2 teaspoons
cinnamon
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3 teaspoons
cocoa powder or raw cacao
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1 pinch
salt
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1 pinch
cream of tartar
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150 grams
Mexican chocolate (can be found in most supermarkets, gourmet shops, or ordered online)
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1 tablespoon
unsalted butter
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2 tablespoons
heavy cream
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Measure egg whites and allow to sit at room temperature for 24 hours in a covered bowl. Aging the whites helps them thin and will create a better textured macaroon.
Ask the hotline about this step!Line two cookie pans with parchment paper and trace 1.5 inch circles on the paper, keeping the circles about one inch apart. Preheat your oven to 300 F.
Ask the hotline about this step!Pulse the almond flour, confectioners sugar, cinnamon and cocoa in a food processor until it is a finely mixed powder. Sift into a large bowl.
Ask the hotline about this step!Put egg whites in stainless steel bowl and beat on low with a hand mixer until frothy. Add salt and cream of tartar, and slowly mix in the granulated sugar. Once the sugar is all incorporated, increase mixer speed to medium and beat until meringue forms stiff peaks. The meringue should look glossy and remain in place when the bowl is tipped on its side.
Ask the hotline about this step!Using a silicone spatula, fold the almond and sugar mixture into the egg whites one-third at a time. You do not have to be gentle, instead use brisk strokes to fold the mixture together completely, this will help reduce the air in the meringue and keep the macaroons from being too puffy.
Ask the hotline about this step!Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag or a ziplock. If using a ziplock, cut off a 1/4 inch tip from the corner. Pipe the mixture in a spiral to fill each 1.5 inch circle on the parchment paper. Allow the unbaked cookies to sit out for 30 minutes, until the cookies have a matte texture and are no longer sticky.
Ask the hotline about this step!Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Allow to cool and then peel very gently off the parchment paper.
Ask the hotline about this step!Make ganache while the cookies cool. Melt chocolate in double boiler. Whisk in heavy cream and butter and stir mixture over gently boiling water until it is smooth and shiny.
Ask the hotline about this step!When the cookies and filling are cool, spread or pipe the ganache on the flat side of one macaroon and create a sandwich with a second one.
Ask the hotline about this step!Eat.
Ask the hotline about this step! ARGH! ... Another thing to be ADDICTED TO! These are different, delicious and the chocolate. well there are no words except "MORE!"
You have my vote!
Another great recipe! Love the chocolate spice combo!
Question from a novice baker - what do you use to trace the circles? Not a lead pencil I hope... Pen? Marker?
You can use an indelible marker on the underside of your parchment paper and it will show through on the right side but not get on the batter.
I may just put on Lila's La Cantina alum and bake these this weekend!
That's exactly the album I was listening to when I made these! La Cumbia del Mole! Ah, reminds me of being in Oaxaca.
Thanks for this delicious-sounding recipe. I especially love that it's gluten-free! I've put a link to it up on the Gluten-Free Guidebook's Facebook group, and I'll definitely mention it on the site, too.
Thanks so much! I try to be gluten-free as much as I can so I was excited to discover a new flourless treat!
BTW, if people are having trouble finding Bob's Redmill (or don't want to pay the high prices for it that I've seen here in Seattle), Trader Joes has pretty inexpensive almond flour/meal, and I've found it in bulk at natural markets (Whole Foods, and I think Central Market and maybe PCC in Seattle)!
You might want to double check that Trader Joe's almond meal, as it seems to be made from almonds that have not been blanched. The food52 editors say in the slideshow that you should use blanched almonds . . . . ;o)
BOTH finalists have such great recipes...Amanda and Merrill, Can we have a tie??
Agreed!
This is when the hard work of making a choice really has an impact, folks!
yum.
O.M.G. These look fantastic!
Thanks! I loved the flavor of ground almonds in the Oaxacan chocolate and thought it would work well for the macaroons. Mmmm. ¡Muy Delicioso!
Que bonito! If only Food52 has some kind of instantaneous delivery system. These look fabulous!
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Many macaroon recipes call for weights not measures.
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This is a little like a game of Twister in the kitchen.
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If you can't find almond flour, you can make your own in the food processor -- make sure to use blanched almonds.
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Almonds, confectioners' sugar, cinnamon and a hint of cocoa go into the food processor.
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A few pulses will do it.
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To make sure your batter isn't lumpy, robinbeth has you sift the dry ingredients after you pulverize them.
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Egg whites, with a pinch of salt and cream of tartar.
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Ready for folding!
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You can be quite aggressive with macaroon batter -- you actually want to get rid of some of the air in the meringue.
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Because of the confectioners' sugar, it gets quite thick and sticky. Never fear!
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Another two-person job here at food52.
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Will Amanda catch the errant nub of batter about to escape her piping bag? Oh, the suspense.
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Perfect little glossy rounds -- these will spread a little, so leave at least 3/4 of an inch between cookies.
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The macaroons sit for about 30 minutes before baking, until they develop a matte, non-sticky crust.
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Mexican chocolate, which has sugar and cinnamon in it.
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A little cream and butter turns the melted chocolate into a ganache.
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Amanda carefully spreads ganache on the "foot" of a macaroon before sandwiching it together with another cookie.
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A year late to the party, but I just tried the recipe. First and most important, these are delicious. But the consistency of the batter was nothing like something that could be "piped": it was quite crumbly. (I did use sa standing mixer - could that have been it?) I added a couple of teaspoons of water, and was able to spoon it onto the baking sheets. Rough and a little rugged looking, but quite delicious.