Chewy French Almond Macaroons - SUPER EASY RECIPE!

God I hate Wednesdays! But I bet these bad boys will surely brighten up your Hump Day Blues...

no no no....please don't say it again.

Instead lets say, Chewy. French. Almond. Macaroons.

These are the things you'll need.

I snagged this recipe from SAVEUR (Savor a world of Authentic Cuisine). It's like the easiest recipe. Just don't over-bake the cookies because I slightly went over by like 10 minutes and I almost burned them. Don't be fooled by how soft they are in the oven! They will firm up as they cool. 

"This recipe, which SAVEUR contributor Yewande Komolafe received from a French boulanger, produces intensely-flavored cookies have a crunchy caramelized exterior and a chewy, amaretto-flavored interior. They're a tasty treat to have on hand when guests drop by for a quick cup of tea — they're quick to make, and also keep beautifully in an airtight container at room temperature. Be sure not to over-mix the dough, or the macaroons' characteristic texture will be lost."

MAKES ABOUT 20 MACAROONS

INGREDIENTS

18 oz. almond paste (not marzipan; see note)

½ cup superfine sugar

½ tsp. salt

4 tbsp. amaretto liqueur

1 cup powdered sugar

Note: Almond paste is similar to marzipan but contains less sugar and no fillers. (Some versions of almond paste do contain cream or eggs; to make this recipe vegan, ensure that your almond paste contains no eggs or dairy.) Marzipan will not work for this recipe.

Almond Paste is expensive Yah? I paid $7.99 for one of these boxes! SMH

INSTRUCTIONS

 1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine the almond paste, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl and, using your hands, knead together until mixture is just incorporated. Add in the liqueur and gently work it into the paste to form a smooth dough.

2. Sift the powdered sugar into a mixing bowl. Using a ½ oz. metal scoop, scoop out individual portions of the dough and place each in the bowl of powdered sugar. Coat each ball completely with powdered sugar and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving a 1-inch space between each macaroon. Pinch together the sides of each macaroon with your fingers and thumb, leaving a finger-indented well in the center like a little volcano (I will explain this again below). Let the macaroons sit out for 20 minutes to dry out. Bake until golden brown, about 10–12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container.

This is what I thought when they said pinch it so they look like volcanoes...

They just looked kinda ugly right? 

I said fuck the volcanoes! Decided to be a rebel and turn them into stars. Pinch both sides of the dough.

Still has a hole/dent in each macaroon and similar to a volcano. Just Prettier. 

Shine bright like a diamond.

Remember the VeeV Party where I made these Almond Macaroons two weeks ago?

We watched scandal while eating this yummy treat!

Olivia Pope's Daddy is a Monstah.

Reviews from SAVEUR

Ratings & Reviews (8)

5

by HELENR on 2011-11-28

My oven had a temperature hiccup, so these cookies didn't hold their shape, so instead, I had a mass of flat, melted macaroons. But they still tasted GREAT, and were hands-down a hit at Thanksgiving - we couldn't stop eating them.

5

by KAVITA on 2011-12-04

Just got done making these about 20 minutes ago, they are fantastic. I found pure almond paste by Solo. Very good and easy recipe.

5

by ASTOCKWELL on 2011-12-11

I've made these twice already and love love love them. So simple, so good. I found that letting the cookies dry longer than 20 min (about an hour even) before baking helps them retain their shape better.

3

by JHARRIMAN07 on 2011-12-14

This cookie is simplicity. A quick and easy recipe with well balanced flavors of almond and sweet powdered sugar in each bite. I love how the outsides caramlize a bit and leave the center of the macaroon soft.

I also found that the Solo Almond Paste (comes in 8 oz cans) is gluten free. Some of the other Almond Pastes I looked at had wheat by-products in them. So if you are making these for someone with gluten allergies/senstivities, make sure you pick up GF paste.

And if you live in a humid state, like me, let them set out longer than 20 minutes. I found an hour was perfect timing.

5

by AMANDA ERICKSON on 2011-12-27

I haven't made these yet, but someone gave them to me, with the recipe on Christmas Eve. I'm vegan and to have such elegant cookies given to me with such thoughtfulness meant a lot. My favorite cookie of the season this year, and I put them on Peaceful Table.

1

by PANCAKEX on 2011-12-27

I can't *not* leave a review for these - they turned out terribly. If I wanted a pan of melted almond paste/sugar, I could have probably just dumped the whole mess onto the pan and cooked it instead of shaping it into nice cookies. Unless you really know what you're doing, I wouldn't attempt this recipe. It could have been the weather (rainy day), it could have been that the recipe is messed up, but I have made a lot of cookies in my day and this is the first time I've ever cussed after removing them from the oven.

I am tempted to try again and let them sit for a good hour (or more?!) like one of the comments said, but I've already wasted $20 worth of almond paste and $10 for a bottle of amaretto (at least I can drink the amaretto and maybe not feel so bad) but I don't really want to make it $50 in wasted ingredients. So I'll try another recipe instead. I did notice that most recipes for this type of cookie require some egg white. So perhaps an ingredient HAS been left out of this recipe?

5

by WHEATFREEANDHEALTHY on 2012-09-20

I must try this!

4

by moulterd on 2013-09-11

not sure how anyone had problems with these - simple to make with lovely results.

XOXO

I know we can get through this Wednesdayif we do this together. Send me some funny snaps.