Macaroon Sandwich Cookies Recipes

COCONUT MACAROON SANDWICHES WITH LIME CURD

Steps:

• Make Macaroons:
• Heat oven to 325°F with racks in upper and lower third. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Stir together coconut, sugar, flour, and salt until combined well, then add egg whites and almond extract and stir until combined well.
• Pack dough in a teaspoon measure, preferably with offset spatula, scraping it level, then use spatula to remove dough from teaspoon in a single mound. Arrange mounds, rounded side up, 1 inch apart, on baking sheets.
• Bake until just springy to the touch and bottoms are pale golden, 8 to 12 minutes, switching position of sheets halfway through baking.
• Remove cookies from oven and sprinkle while still hot with edible glitter, if using. Cool cookies on baking sheet 1 minute, and transfer to racks to cool completely.
• Make Lime Curd:
• Whisk together lime zest and juice, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a 2-quart heavy saucepan until cornstarch is dissolved, then whisk in butter. Bring to a simmer over moderately high heat, whisking constantly, then reduce heat and continue to simmer briskly, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Remove pan from heat.
• Lightly beat yolks in a small bowl, then slowly add 1/4 cup lime mixture, whisking. Add yolk mixture to remaining lemon mixture, whisking, then cook over low heat, whisking constantly, until curd is thick enough to hold marks of whisk, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, then cover surface with wax paper and chill until cold, about 1 hour.
• Assemble Cookies:
• Transfer lime curd to plastic bag and press out excess air. Snip a 1/8-inch opening in bottom corner of bag, then twist bag firmly just above curd.
• Put 1 cookie, flat side up, on work surface and pipe about 1/2 teaspoon lime curd onto cookie, then top with another cookie, flat side down, to form a sandwich. Make more sandwiches in same manner.

MACARON (FRENCH MACAROON)

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.
• Beat egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until whites are foamy; beat in white sugar and continue beating until egg whites are glossy, fluffy, and hold soft peaks. Sift confectioners' sugar and ground almonds in a separate bowl and quickly fold the almond mixture into the egg whites, about 30 strokes.
• Spoon a small amount of batter into a plastic bag with a small corner cut off and pipe a test disk of batter, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter, onto prepared baking sheet. If the disk of batter holds a peak instead of flattening immediately, gently fold the batter a few more times and retest.
• When batter is mixed enough to flatten immediately into an even disk, spoon into a pastry bag fitted with a plain round tip. Pipe the batter onto the baking sheet in rounds, leaving space between the disks. Let the piped cookies stand out at room temperature until they form a hard skin on top, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 285 degrees F (140 degrees C).
• Bake cookies until set but not browned, about 10 minutes; let cookies cool completely before filling.

SUGAR COOKIE MACAROON SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray cookie sheets with cooking spray.
• In medium bowl, beat cookie mix, butter, coconut and egg with electric mixer on medium speed until soft dough forms. Shape dough into 48 (1-inch) balls. On cookie sheets, place balls 2 inches apart; flatten slightly.
• Bake 12 minutes or until bottoms are golden. Cool 5 minutes. Remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks; cool completely.
• In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate and whipping cream uncovered on High 30 seconds; stir. Microwave 30 seconds longer, stirring every 15 seconds, until chocolate can be stirred smooth. For each sandwich cookie, spread about 1 teaspoon chocolate mixture on bottom of 1 cookie. Top with second cookie, bottom side down; gently press together. Let stand until chocolate is set.

MACARONS

Steps:

• Place egg whites into a metal mixing bowl and refrigerate overnight. The next day, bring egg whites to room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 280 degrees F (138 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Whisk confectioners' sugar and almond flour in a bowl. Beat the egg whites with salt in metal bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until foamy, about 1 minute; increase speed to high and gradually beat in superfine sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, until the egg whites are glossy and hold stiff peaks, 3 to 5 more minutes.
• Gently fold almond flour mixture into whipped egg whites until thoroughly incorporated; spoon meringue into a pastry big fitted with a 3/8-inch tip.
• Pipe 1-inch disks of meringue onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches of space between cookies. The batter will spread. Lift the baking sheets a few inches above the work surface and hit them lightly on the work surface several times to remove any air bubbles from the cookies. Let the cookies stand at room temperature until the shiny surfaces become dull and a thin skin forms, about 15 minutes.
• Place the baking sheets in the preheated oven and bake with the oven door open slightly until the macarons' surfaces are completely dry, about 15 minutes. Let cookies cool completely on a baking sheet before peeling parchment paper from the cookies.
• Spread half the cookies with any desired filling, top with remaining cookies to make sandwiches, and refrigerate at least 2 hours to overnight to let the cookies soften.

LINZER MACAROON SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Finely grind 1 2/3 cups slivered almonds and 1 1/3 cups sugar in processor. Add egg whites and almond extract; process until well blended (dough will be sticky).
• Using slightly rounded teaspoonful for each cookie, roll dough between damp palms of hands into balls. Place on prepared baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Flatten each ball slightly to 1 1/4-inch-diameter round. Gently press a few sliced almonds into each cookie.
• Bake cookies until light golden, about 18 minutes. Slide parchment with cookies onto racks; cool completely.
• Stir preserves and 2 tablespoons water in heavy small saucepan over medium-high heat until mixture boils. Reduce heat and simmer until mixture thickens slightly, about 4 minutes.
• Spoon 1/2 teaspoon raspberry preserves onto flat side of 1 cookie. Top with second cookie, flat side down. Press to adhere. Repeat with remaining cookies and preserves. (Can be prepared ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week or freeze up to 1 month. Cookies may soften slightly.) Sift powdered sugar over cookies.

MACAROON SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Whisk together egg whites, sugar, and salt until frothy. Stir in coconut until moist. Drop teaspoon-size mounds onto parchment-lined baking sheets; flatten with a fork.
• Bake until golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Spread 1/2 teaspoon jam onto bottoms of half the cookies, then sandwich with remaining cookies. Filled cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.