Almond Macarons with Chocolate Hazelnut Butter

Posted on : September 24th, 2019

I LOVE macarons! Light and sweet meringue-like round cookie sandwiches with any number of fillings in between are just perfect with a cup of espresso for an afternoon splurge. Also known as French macaroons, they let me pretend to be at a Parisian cafe instead of at one of my favorite local bakeries in Chico. Not that Chico cafes aren’t wonderfully good! No, I’m just saying that the romantic in me drifts far away to a fantasy outdoor cafe in view of the Eiffel Tower every time I bite into one.

I always have assumed that macarons would be too much trouble to make. But the main ingredient is finely ground almonds! How could I not find out? So I looked into the process and I’m going to share what I found it.

Tip #1: Choose a time when you feel a little adventurous. This recipe is not “hard” but it does take patience to get the texture just right and probably practice if you want them pretty!

Tip #2: Buy or make a pastry bag to pipe the batter onto the baking sheets to get that oh-so-perfect look!

Tip #3: The key to a pretty macaron is mixing the dry ingredients with the egg whites. If you undermix the batter the top of the macarons won’t even out into the smooth look these treats are known for. Overmix and you won’t get the airy bottom. You do not want it completely firm, instead somewhat runny but not too runny. I recommend watching this video.

Tip #4: Prepare all your ingredients in advance and have them at room temperature before you attempt this recipe. For example, separate your egg whites so they’re ready to go. It just makes it so much easier—trust me!

Enjoy the process and enjoy eating them. They’re vegan and gluten-free!

Almond Macarons with Chocolate Hazelnut Butter

Ingredients

• 1 cup confectioner’s (powdered) sugar
• 3/4 cup finely ground almond flour (Make your own (here’s how): 4 oz of almonds=1 cup almond flour)
• 2 egg whites, room temperature
• 1/4 cup super-fine sugar
• Pinch of cream of tartar (optional)
• A drop or two of food coloring and/or almond extract (optional)
• Maisie Jane’s Chocolate Hazelnut Butter (for filling) or choose the Maisie Jane’s flavored or unflavored nut butter you prefer.

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Pulse powdered sugar and almond flour in a food processor. Sift the ingredients twice.
3. Whip the egg whites on high with a mixer until foamy and then add cream of tartar (if used). Slowly add in superfine sugar and whip until stiff and shiny, about 2 minutes on high.
4. With a rubber spatula, gently fold in optional food coloring and/or almond extract, sugar and flour mixture into whipped egg white mixture. Fold the ingredients as little as possible until it is smooth, shiny and slightly runny. (See above tips.) Scoop into piping bag fitted with a small round tip.
5. Pipe the batter into 1″ cookies onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper—watch this video (from above) to see how). Gently swirl the tip out of the mixture each time so you do not form peaks. Let stand at room temperature 30-40 minutes.
6. Bake at 325 degrees for 5-10 minutes, until cookies are firm and crisp. Be sure to keep a close eye on the cookies – don’t let them brown! Remove cookies from oven and cool.
7. When completely cool, sandwich 2 same-size macarons with about 1 teaspoon of Chocolate Hazelnut Butter or filling of your choice.
8. Serve immediately or stack between layers of parchment and wrap in plastic in the refrigerator for another day. (They can be frozen as well for up to 3 months.)

Number of servings: 36 cookies (12 servings)

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Maisie Jane’s California Sunshine Products, Inc. was founded on strong beliefs and passion for offering unique, flavorful, top-quality, nut products. We strongly believe in earth-friendly practices that start on our family owned and operated orchards. We use Organic farming practices and continue in the process by using all-natural ingredients with no preservatives or GMOs. We believe in honest, friendly and helpful customer relations at all levels. We take pride in every task, every day, with every person.