Macaroons

Macaroons are my favorite cookie. I was introduced to them when I was studying in southern France. I indulged in a lavender macron and the delicate little cookies that I'd never even tried before went soaring to the top of my list.

Not only are macaroons rich in flavor, they are rich in history. Dating back to the days of Henry II and  Catherine de' Medici's. They are the cookie of France and can found at patisseries across the country.

French macrons are slowly becoming popular in America. When they are jam filled, they are considered to be a gluten free dessert. Furthermore, I recently learned that their lack of yeast or flour makes them a great option during Jewish passover.

While macarons look and taste like an intricate and delicate cookie, they are actually quite simple to make.


Production
Almond Macaroons 
Ingredients: 2 oz almond flour; 2 oz powdered sugar; 2 oz egg whites; 3/4 oz of granulated sugar; vanilla extract.

Process: Sift the almond flour and sugar and set aside. Whip the egg whites to soft peaks, the add the sugar to make a stiff meringue. Fold in the dry ingredients and your desired color. Note make the color represent the filling inside. For example if your macaroon will have a lemon filling, yellow is an appropriate color. Fill a bag with the macaroon batter and pipe into small circles slightly larger than a quarter onto a silpat lined sheet pan. You must be consistent when piping macarons -  they need to be sandwiched. Once the dough is piped, dust the top of the macarons with powdered sugar and the let sit for 15-20 min so that an outer crust forms. Bake in the oven at 350 for 20-25 min.

Once the macarons are done, let cool and the fill with desired center. Ganache and jam are both great options!