Macaroons Six Ways
We perfect almond macaroons and five flavorful variations.
These days, the only macaroons that you will find at most bakeries and supermarkets are made with coconut. Almond macaroons are the original macaroon but are virtually unobtainable in stores yet so very nice -- and simple enough to make at home. To make the cookies, you simply grind the almonds and sugar in a food processor, add egg whites and a little almond extract, and process until the mixture binds into a stiff but cohesive dough. Next you drop or pipe the paste onto a parchment-lined sheet and bake. The result is a macaroon that's moist and soft on the inside and crunchy-chewy on the outside. Little nuggets of marzipan in a toasty crust. Here we include a master recipe for almond macaroons as well as five variations.

ALMOND MACAROONS

Makes about 2 dozen 2-inch cookies

Macaroons must be baked on parchment paper. They will stick to an ungreased sheet and spread on a greased one. You need a slightly less stiff dough if piping the macaroons, so add water, as needed, to make a pipeable paste.

3 cups (12 ounces) blanched slivered almonds (measure without packing or shaking the cup)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (3 large) egg whites
1 teaspoon almond extract

1. Set racks in upper-middle and lower-middle levels of oven and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. Turn almonds into food processor fitted with the metal chopping blade; process 1 minute. Add sugar; process 15 seconds longer. Add whites and extract; process until the paste wads around blade. Scrape sides and corners of workbowl with spatula; process until stiff but cohesive, malleable paste (similar in consistency to marzipan or pasta dough) forms, about 5 seconds longer. If mixture is crumbly or dry, turn machine back on and add water by drops through feeder tube until proper consistency is reached.

3. Allowing scant 2 tablespoons of paste for each macaroon, form a dozen cookies upon each paper-lined sheet, spacing the cookies 1 1/2 inches apart. You can drop the paste from a spoon or for a neater look, roll it into 1-inch balls between your palms . (Rinse and dry your hands if they become too sticky.) To make fancy macaroons, pipe the paste using a large pastry bag fitted with a 3/4-inch open star tip.

4. Bake macaroons, switching cookie sheet positions midway through baking, until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. If overbaked, macaroons will dry out rather quickly when stored. Leave macaroons on papers until completely cooled or else they may tear. (Can be stored in an airtight container for at least 4 days or frozen up to 1 month.)

DELICATE COCONUT MACAROONS

Follow recipe for Almond Macaroons, substituting 14 ounces lightly packed sweetened flaked coconut for almonds and reducing almond extract to 1/2 teaspoon. After adding egg white and extract, process 1 full minute. The paste will now resemble slushy snow.

FUDGE-ALMOND MACAROONS

Follow recipe for Almond Macaroons, decreasing almonds to 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) and adding 1 cup Dutch-process cocoa and 1/4 teaspoon salt along with the sugar. The macaroons are done when they have cracked lightly across top.

PINE NUT–CRUSTED ALMOND MACAROONS

Follow recipe for Almond Macaroons, rolling paste into balls between your palms. Dip each ball into beaten egg white, then roll in pine nuts, lightly pressing with fingertips. You will need 2 to 3 egg whites and 2 1/2 to 3 cups (8 to 10 ounces) pine nuts altogether. Transfer cookies to baking sheet and flatten slightly with fingers, making inch-wide buttons.

LEMON-ALMOND MACAROONS

Follow recipe for Almond Macaroons, making the paste without water. Add 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (2 large lemons) and process 10 seconds longer.

PISTACHIO MACAROON BUTTONS

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

The skinning of pistachios is a nuisance, but there is no point in bothering with this recipe unless it is done. Make sure to get pistachios that are raw or only lightly toasted. The flavor of these macaroons becomes more intense the day after baking.

1 1/4 cups (about 6 ounces) shelled pistachios
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon grated zest from a small lemon
Pinch salt
2 tablespoons (1 large) egg white

1. Boil pistachios hard in several quarts of water until skins begin to loosen, about 3 minutes. Drain nuts, then plunge into bowl of cold water; let stand in water until ready to peel. Remove skins, tossing skinned nuts onto paper towel–lined tray.

2. Thoroughly dry skinned pistachios on baking sheet set in center position in 200-degree oven, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from oven before nuts begin to give off roasted aroma or take on any color. Increase heat to 325 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.

3. Set aside forty-eight pistachios. Turn remainder into bowl of food processor, fitted with the metal chopping blade, and grind fine. Add sugar, zest, and salt and process 1 minute longer. Add egg white; process until dough wads into moist clumps.

4. Roll dough into 1-teaspoon balls and arrange 1 inch apart on baking sheet. Make dimple in center of each ball with moistened fingertip; press reserved pistachio into each little crater. Bake cookies until they look dry and have just begun to color, 10 to 12 minutes. Set baking sheet on rack; let macaroons cool completely before peeling them off parchment paper. (Can be stored in air-tight container about 5 days.)

September, 1996
Original article and recipes by Stephen Schmidt