Macarons Aux Amandes French Almond Macaroons Recipes

FRENCH ALMOND MACARONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Sift confectioners' sugar into a bowl. Whisk in almonds; set aside. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats (such as Silpats), and mark circles using a 1 1/2-inch cutter dipped in flour.
• Put egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until foamy, then beat in salt. Beat in granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon at a time, until medium-soft peaks form. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.
• Using a rubber spatula, fold half the almond mixture into the egg white mixture until just incorporated. Fold in vanilla and remaining almond mixture until just incorporated. Firmly tap bottom of bowl on counter to eliminate air pockets.
• Transfer mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip (such as Ateco #806). Pipe mixture into marked circles on prepared baking sheets. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until macarons are slightly firm and can be gently lifted off parchment (bottoms will be dry), 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool on sheets 5 minutes. Transfer macarons on parchment to a wire rack; let cool completely.
• Spread 2 teaspoons buttercream on flat sides of half the macarons, then sandwich with remaining halves, keeping flat sides together. Refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes, before serving.

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.

MACARONS AUX AMANDES (FRENCH ALMOND MACAROONS)

Steps:

• Roasting Almonds: preheat oven (220°C). Roast blanched almonds on baking tray for about 10 or until golden brown. Do not over-roast. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
• Making Cookies: Preheat oven (180°C).
• Reserve some almonds for decoration (optional).
• Ground the roasted almonds with sugar in food processor.
• While motor is running add as much egg white as need to make a smooth and soft dough, which is still sticky. Add almond or vanilla extract and mix well. The dough has the right consistency, if you can form ball with moistened hands, but is sticky.
• With slightly moistened hands form walnut sized balls. Put dough balls on baking tray flatten them slightly.
• Optional: decorate cookies with halved almonds and/or slightly dust cookies with caster sugar.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the macaroons are slightly golden on top and firm.
• Take tray out of the oven and let cool cookies on tray for a few minutes. Then remove the cookies carefully from tray and let cool completely on cooling rack.
• NOTE on egg white: you may need more than 1 egg white. But start with one and mix very well. Only if the dough is too crumby after mixing add some more egg white.
• Yield is a guess.

MACARONS CREME BRULEE (CREME BRULEE FRENCH ALMOND MACAROONS)

Steps:

• One hour before starting, take the egg whites out of the refrigerator.
• Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celcuis.
• Mix the icing sugar, caster sugar and ground almonds in a blender until they form a fine powder.
• Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of caster (superfine) sugar until they form soft peaks, then when it begins to look 'moussey' (not sure how to translate "commence a mousser"), add 20g of sugar and whisk until the egg whites form stiff peaks.
• Tip the egg white mixture into the almond mixture and and fold (the recipes says "macaronnez", I don't think that's translatable!) together using a spatula until they form a smooth paste but be careful not to let them become liquidy.
• Using a 8mm piping bag, pipe little mounds (about 60) of the mixture on a greased baking sheet, spacing them about 3-4cm apart.
• Leave in the oven for 12-14 minutes, being careful not to let them brown too much. After that time, take them out of the oven and allow them to cool before decorating. Turn the oven down to 90 degrees Celcius.
• While they're cooling, beat the egg yolks and sugar together until they become pale.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the cream with the vanilla until it thickens slightly, then tip it into the egg yolk mixture. Mix together gently so it doesn't turn into a mousse.
• Pour the creme into a greased flan or pie dish measuring about 18cm (7-8 inches) and place in the oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes. After that time, leave it to cool for an hour, then place it in the fridge to set for at least four hours.
• When you're ready to serve (finally!), take the creme out of the fridge and stamp out discs the same size as the macaroons, and place on the flat side of one macaroon. Sprinkle with demerera sugar and caramelize using a blow torch, then place on a small tea plate, placing another macaroon flat side down on one edge as a 'lid' to make 30 macaroons.
• I promise you it's worth the effort! They look really impressive, but it made me realize how hard French patissiers must work.

SIMPLEST ALMOND MACAROONS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Place almond paste and sugar in food processor or mixing bowl. Mix or process until thoroughly combined. Add egg whites and mix until smooth dough forms.
• Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto baking sheets, about 1 inch apart and bake 18-20 minutes, or until golden. Cool completely on baking sheets.
• Peel macaroons from paper when completely cool 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.

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.

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.

BEST FRENCH MACARONS

Steps:

• Combine confectioners' sugar, almond flour, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times until extra-fine. Sift through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl.
• Beat egg whites with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until frothy. Gradually add superfine sugar and vanilla and continue to beat on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Do not overbeat; tips of peaks should hold their shape but curl over slightly.
• Gently fold 1/3 of the almond flour mixture into the egg whites, turning bowl occasionally, until nearly combined. Drop in food coloring. Add remaining almond flour mixture in 2 additions, gently folding until a batter comes together. Batter should fall off the spatula in thick ribbons without breaking.
• Transfer batter to a piping bag with a #804 pastry tip. Line 2 light-colored baking sheets with silicone macaron mats. Pipe batter into each circle on the mats. Tap baking sheets 4 times against the counter to release any air bubbles. Let macarons sit at room temperature until dry to the touch, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Bake macarons in the preheated oven until bottoms rise slightly off the mats to form 'feet', 17 to 20 minutes. Switch baking sheets positions halfway through.
• Let macarons cool on the mats for 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, at least 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, beat butter and confectioners' sugar together using an electric mixer until creamy. Add heavy cream and vanilla extract; beat until combined.
• Transfer buttercream to a piping bag with a #4 pastry tip. Pipe buttercream onto 1/2 of the macarons. Top with the other halves to create sandwiches.

REAL FRENCH ALMOND MACARONS

Steps:

• 1. In a mixer bowl break up the almond paste.
• 2. Combine almond paste sugar egg whites and flavoring in food processor bowl and mix for about one minute. Add remaining ingredients and process for about 60 seconds.
• 3. Cover baking sheets with brown paper. Drop almond mixture by the tablespoon onto pan. Dampen finger and flatten dough. Let stand for an hour, uncovered.
• 4. Preheat oven at 300. Enjoy it!
• 5. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until gold.
• 6. I never can have enough of these French macaroons.
• 7. Delicate, soft chewy inside, gold outside. In my opinion there is nothing in the world to substitute these FRENCH MACARONS.