Chewy Orange Macaroons Recipes

CHEWY ORANGE MACAROONS

Steps:

• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In your mixer bowl and using the whip beater ( balloon whisk).
• beat the whole egg until thick and light.
• Add in the sugar gradually a little at a time.
• Add the vanilla and orange zest.
• Beat until thick light and fluffy.
• Remove bowl, and fold in the coconut.
• Drop heaping teaspoonfuls onto the parchment making high mounds, and space about 1 1/2 inches apart.
• Bake 15 minutes.
• Turn off heat.
• Leave in the oven for 10 more minutes, letting them dry more.
• Remove and let completely cool.
• Store in a tin container airtight.

CHOCOLATE MACARONS WITH ORANGE GANACHE

Steps:

• For cookies:
• Arrange racks in lower and upper thirds of oven; preheat to 325°F. Line 3 rimless baking sheets with parchment paper. Pulse 1 cup powdered sugar and almonds in a food processor until nuts are very finely ground (but not to a paste), 60-90 seconds. Add cocoa powder and remaining 1 cup powdered sugar; process to blend well. Sift mixture through a medium-mesh strainer into a large bowl; discard larger almond pieces remaining in strainer (if more than 1 tablespoon remains, pulse nuts again in processor and re-sift).
• Using an electric mixer, beat 1/3 cup egg whites in a medium bowl on medium speed until white and frothy, about 1 minute. With mixer on medium-low speed, gradually add sugar by tablespoonfuls. Increase speed to medium-high; beat until firm peaks form.
• Stir in remaining 3 tablespoons egg whites. Fold meringue into dry ingredients in 2 additions, mixing well between additions.
• Spoon meringue into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4" tip. (Alternatively, spoon into a plastic freezer bag, then cut 1/4" off a corner of bag.) Twist top of bag and pipe quarter size rounds onto 2 of the 3 prepared baking sheets, spacing 1" apart. Let stand until tops appear dry, about 10 minutes.
• Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through baking, until puffed and dry, about 16 minutes. Slide cookies on parchment onto a wire rack. Let cool completely. Repeat with remaining batter on third baking sheet.
• For ganache:
• Place chocolate and butter in a medium bowl. Bring cream just to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat; stir in orange zest, cloves, allspice, and salt. Pour hot cream mixture over chocolate and butter; whisk until smooth. Refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes.
• Spoon ganache into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4" tip. (Alternatively, spoon into a plastic freezer bag, then cut 1/4" off a corner of bag.) Twist top of bag and pipe about 1 teaspoon ganache onto flat side of 1 cookie, leaving 1/4"-1/8" plain border. Top with a second cookie, flat side down. Repeat with the remaining cookies and ganache. Brush tops with gold dust, if desired. Layer in an airtight container between sheets of parchment paper and refrigerate overnight. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled. Let return to room temperature before serving.

BLOOD ORANGE MACARONS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Combine the confectioners' sugar and almonds in a food processor and pulse until powdery. Sift through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding any large pieces.
• Beat the egg whites and salt in a medium bowl with a mixer on medium speed until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and increase the mixer speed to medium high; gradually add the superfine sugar and continue beating until firm peaks form, about 5 minutes. Add the food coloring. Sift the almond mixture into the bowl and add the orange zest. Gently fold with a rubber spatula until the batter slowly drips off the spatula (it will still be thick).
• Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip. Pipe about sixteen 1 1/2-inch circles, 1 1/2 inches apart, onto each prepared baking sheet. Tap the baking sheets against the counter to release any air bubbles, then use a damp finger to smooth any peaks of batter. Let stand at room temperature until shiny and dry, about 15 minutes.
• Bake 1 pan at a time, rotating it halfway through, until the macaroons are slightly crisp and the bottoms release from the parchment, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheets. Sandwich the macarons with a thin layer of jelly.

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 ORANGE MACAROONS

Steps:

• Place the oven rack in the lowest position possible in your oven.
• Preheat the oven to 300°F.
• Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Place the sugar, confectioners' sugar, orange zest and salt in the bowl of a food processor together with the steel knife.
• Grind the zest very find with the sugar.
• This will usually take 3 20-second whirls of the processor.
• Scrape the work bowl with a spatula in between whirls and stir up the sugar mixture.
• Scatter the diced almond paste evenly over the sugar mixture and give the processor about two more 10 seconds whirls.
• The texture should be like coarse meal.
• Again, scrape the work bowl in between whirls.
• Add the egg whites and mix with about two 5 second whirls.
• Don't forget to scrape the bowl at half-time.
• Remove the steel knife and set aside.
• Working directly from the food processor bowl, scoop up the dough in rounded 1/2 teaspoonfuls and drop onto the parchment lined baking sheets.
• Space the cookies about 2 inches apart, these babies really spread as they bake.
• Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until lightly browned and crackly on top, about 20-25 minutes.
• Remove the cookies together with the parchment paper to a wire rack to cool.
• To remove the cooled cookies from the paper, loosen them carefully around the edges with a spatula, using short strokes.
• These are not brittle cookies, and you should get the hang of it soon enough.
• You can layer the macaroons between sheets of wax paper in an airtight Tupperware, and store them in a cool, dry spot.

CHEWY MACAROONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325.
• Combine coconut, flour and salt.
• Stir in vanilla and milk.
• Drop from a tablespoon onto a greased cookie sheet.
• Bake for 13 minutes or until golden brown.

PINCHED ORANGE MACAROONS

Steps:

• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats. Beat 1 egg white, the almond paste, confectioners' sugar, and almond extract with a mixer on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add Grand Marnier and orange zest, and beat until combined, about 1 minute.
• Turn out dough onto a clean surface lightly dusted with confectioners' sugar, and roll into two 3/4-inch-thick logs, about 18 inches long. Cut each log crosswise into thirty 1/2-inch pieces. Roll each piece into a ball.
• Lightly beat remaining egg white. Brush onto each dough ball, and roll in sugar, tapping to remove excess. Transfer to prepared baking sheets. Let stand for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Gently pinch each piece of dough with three fingers to form an irregular pyramid shape. Bake until pale golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to wire racks, and let cool completely. (Macaroons can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 week.)