Almond Pine Nut Macaroons Recipes

VEGAN ALMOND MACAROONS

Steps:

• Place the 2 1/2 cups (250 grams) almonds, the sugar, aquafaba, almond extract, and salt in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Paddle on medium-high speed for 10 minutes. Yes, 10 full minutes! The almonds will slowly break down and eventually the batter should look like thick quicksand. Scrape the batter into an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight, to allow it to stiffen up a little bit.
• When ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and place a rack in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray it very liberally with pan spray--this is a sticky cookie, so don't be shy. Using a small (2-tablespoon) ice cream scoop or large spoon, scoop balls of dough about the size of golf balls onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them a few inches apart. Press the dough with the palm of your hand to flatten the cookies until they are about 1/2 inch thick (moisten your hand with water to prevent sticking). Sprinkle the cookies liberally with the remaining 1/2 cup (50 grams) almonds and press slightly to adhere. Bake for 26 to 30 minutes, rotating the baking sheet midway through the baking time, until the cookies are totally medium golden brown on top and along the edges and the almonds are lightly toasted. Don't underbake or they will be gummy in the center. Let cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack.
• Almond macaroons can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

ALMOND MACAROONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. In a large bowl, mix the first 5 ingredients until blended. Drop mixture by tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto parchment-lined baking sheets., Bake 16-20 minutes or until light brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely., Drizzle cookies with melted chocolate; let stand until set. Store in an airtight container.

ALMOND-PINE NUT MACAROONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 cookie trays with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Spread the pine nuts onto a jelly-roll pan lined with waxed or parchment paper.
• Break the almond paste into chunks and place in the bowl of a food processor. Add the sugar and process until the mixture is homogenous, stopping once to scrape down the bowl using a rubber spatula. Add the egg whites and process until smooth. Scrape again and process for a few more seconds.
• The mixture will be sticky, but with a light touch and moist hands it can be gently rolled. Keep a damp towel nearby to wipe and wet your hands. Using damp hands, round the mix into scant 1-inch balls and drop the balls onto the tray of pine nuts. Once you have 3 to 4 balls formed, roll them in the nuts to cover completely. Place about 16 balls 1 1/2-inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake the first tray while preparing the second, until the cookies are pale golden, and puffy, about 25 minutes. Place the baking sheets on wire cooling racks and cool the cookies completely before lifting them off. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 1 week.

ALMENDRADOS (ALMOND-LEMON MACAROONS)

Steps:

• Using a food processor equipped with a metal blade, grind 2 cups almonds very finely. Add 3/4 cup sugar, the egg and lemon zest, and pulse to make a cohesive dough. Transfer to a medium bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick liner. Place remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a small bowl.
• Pinching off pieces of dough about the size of a walnut, roll them first into balls, then into sugar. Gently press an almond point first into top of each cookie, so that half the almond can be seen. Arrange cookies one inch apart on baking sheet.
• Bake until cookies have barest hint of color but still remain soft, 8 to 10 minutes. (Cookies must be soft when removed from oven to avoid excess hardening when they cool.) Cool completely, and store in an airtight container.

CHEWY ALMOND MACAROON BISCUITS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment. Put the ground almonds and sugar in a large mixing bowl and mix to combine.
• In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy, then add to the almond and sugar mixture. Stir well - it will form a slightly sticky mixture but should hold its shape.
• Wet your hands lightly and roll a heaped teaspoon of the mixture into a ball between your palms - it should be about 4cm in diameter. Put on the tray and flatten slightly with wet fingers to a thick disc, leaving at least 3cm between each biscuit. Press a blanched almond into each one, if you like.
• Bake for 18-20 mins until just starting to turn golden around the edges, then remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack. You want them to have a chewy, soft centre and the darker they get the harder the middle will be.
• To make cinnamon balls, add the cinnamon to the almonds and sugar before you add the egg white. When shaping, leave them as balls. Bake for 18-20 mins - you want them to stay soft in the centre. While they are still warm, put them gently in a bowl of icing sugar and turn to coat. Leave until completely cooled.

ALMOND-WALNUT THUMBPRINT MACAROONS

Steps:

• Put the almonds in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until mostly powdered with a few crunchy bits remaining, about 15 pulses. Transfer to a large bowl. Put the walnuts in the food processor and pulse until mostly powdered. Add the walnuts to the almonds.
• Add the sugar, cardamom, egg and egg whites to the bowl and, using one hand, mix to combine. Cover with a towel and let the mixture sit for at least 8 hours or overnight to dry out a bit.
• Heat the oven to 325 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Pour rose water or 1 cup of water in a small shallow bowl. Dampen your hands with the rose water and scoop up about a tablespoon of the dough at a time, pressing it into walnut-size balls. Place the macaroons on the baking sheets about 2 inches apart and flatten them slightly. Use your thumb to make a small indentation in the middle of each.
• Transfer the baking sheets to the oven and cook for 15 minutes, then remove and put either 1/4 teaspoon of the raspberry jam or a pistachio in each thumbprint. Rotate the pans and continue baking for 10 more minutes or until golden and firm. Cool to room temperature on the baking sheets and serve or freeze.

ITALIAN ALMOND MACAROONS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, stir together the almond paste, egg whites and lemon extract until smooth. Sift together the white sugar and confectioners' sugar, then combine sugars with the flour and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the egg mixture along with the food coloring of your choice. Drop by teaspoonfuls, two inches apart, onto the prepared cookie sheets. Sprinkle some nuts on top of each cookie.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until cookies are golden around the edges. Cool for a few minutes on baking sheets before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Store or freeze in an airtight container.

PINE NUT-ALMOND MACAROONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line large cookie sheet with foil. Combine Marsala and currants in heavy small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes. Cool.
• Finely grind almonds and 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts with sugar and flour in processor. Mix egg white with extract in medium bowl. Add to processor and blend until dough forms ball. Place dough in bowl. Mix in currants. Shape dough between palms into 3/4-inch-diameter balls. Roll in 1 cup pine nuts to cover, pressing to adhere. Flatten each to 1 1/2-inch round. Space evenly on cookie sheet. Bake until golden brown about 15 minutes. Cool slightly. Remove cookies from foil using metal spatula and cool on rack. (Can be prepared 4 days ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.)