Almond Walnut Thumbprint Macaroons Recipes

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.

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.

MOCHA-WALNUT MACARONS

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes., Preheat oven to 275°. Place confectioners' sugar, walnuts, cocoa and coffee in a food processor; process until finely ground and set aside., Add salt to egg whites; beat on medium speed until soft peaks. Gradually add superfine sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high after each addition until sugar is dissolved. Continue beating until stiff glossy peaks form. Carefully fold in walnut mixture until blended., Pipe or drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 1 in. apart onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Air dry for 30 minutes before baking. Bake 18-20 minutes. Remove macaroons from baking sheet to a wire rack; cool completely. Remove from parchment; store in an airtight container.

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.

FRENCH ALMOND MACAROONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats. Combine sugar and almonds in food processor fitted with metal blade. Process 3 minutes to grind into a fine powder. If mixture is sticking, scrape down sides of bowl. Add starch and process 1 minute more.
• In another bowl or a mixer, whip egg whites, salt and extract together at medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Working in 3 additions, fold almond mixture into egg whites, turning over and over until incorporated. Batter will be sticky and thick. Set aside to rest 20 minutes.
• Spoon batter by tablespoons onto prepared pans; cookies will spread to about 3-inch rounds, so leave plenty of room. Bake 1 sheet at a time until cookies are puffed, golden and shiny, 18 to 20 minutes. As soon as cookies come out of oven, remove paper (with cookies on it) from baking sheet. Let cookies cool completely before removing from paper; use a thin metal spatula or knife blade if cookies stick.

COCONUT-NUT MACAROONS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together egg whites, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix well with a rubber spatula or your hands.
• Use a nonstick baking sheet, or line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Wet your hands and make small piles of the mixture, each 1 to 2 tablespoons; place on sheet about an inch apart.
• Bake until firm to the touch and lightly browning on edges, about 15 minutes. Remove baking sheet and cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes before eating. These keep well in a covered container for up to 3 days.

COCONUT MACAROONS

Steps:

• Position racks in the top and bottom of the oven and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, whisk egg whites, salt and sugar until creamy, thick and white. Whisk in 1 tablespoon of the oil and the vanilla.
• Fold in the flaked and shredded coconut and the flour, mixing well so the coconut is evenly moistened. At this point, the macaroons can be baked, but you can also refrigerate the mixture in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
• Use a small 1-ounce cookie scoop to portion the coconut mixture (about 2 tablespoons per macaroon) and squeeze together in a ball. Space a few inches apart on the prepared sheets and rough up the texture a little with your fingers.
• Bake, switching the pans from back to front and top to bottom, until golden on the bottom and toasty all over, 16 to 21 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer the macaroons to a cooling rack close together. Set the rack over one of the baking sheets (keep the parchment on) to catch chocolate drips during drizzling. Cool the macaroons completely.
• Melt the chocolate with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon oil in a small saucepan over low heat and stir well. Drizzle the macaroons with the chocolate. Let the chocolate set a little in a cool place or in the refrigerator before topping with flaky salt. The macaroons can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 1 month.