We had friends over last night for dinner. They brought Chinese and I made desserts. I remembered them saying that on a trip to France they had fallen in love with macaroons. So yesterday I attempted to make french macaroons. I researched and realized that french macaroons are vastly different than the macaroons I was used to seeing here in the States. The ones I see are all coconut lumps. (I did make a batch of those as well). But the french macaroons are essentially pulverized almonds and sugar. They were a bit time consuming and after seeing the finished product I was skeptical. I chilled them as directed (an ESSENTIAL step) and served them last night. As I put them on the table our guests gasped and said "are those macaroons"? The first good sign---they looked the way they were supposed to. They took a bite and said they were just like the ones they had eaten in France.---YEAH!!!! And my skepticizm was laid to rest when I ate one myself. They were suprisingly delish even though they did look like a plastic hamburger.
All that to say---try these!!! They are worth the effort and taste amazing! They need to be served cold. YUMMY!!!!!
Chocolate Macaroons with Chocolate Filling
Chocolate filling
3/4 cup whole milk
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
Macaroons
1 1-pound box powdered sugar
2 cups whole blanched almonds
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup egg whites (about 6 large)
For chocolate filling: Bring milk and butter to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; whisk until melted and smooth. Transfer to small bowl. Cool. Cover and refrigerate until thick and cold, at least 1 day and up to 3 days.
For macaroons: Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Blend powdered sugar and almonds in processor until nuts are ground to powder, scraping sides of bowl often, about 8 minutes. Add cocoa and blend 1 minute more. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in large bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold nut mixture into whites in 4 additions, making thick batter.
Spoon half of batter into pastry bag fitted with 1/2-inch plain round tip. Pipe batter onto each prepared sheet in 12 walnut-size mounds, spacing mounds apart (cookies will spread slightly). ** note: I used the bag but ended up finding it much easier to just use a spoon to put them on the parchment paper.
Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until firm to touch in center and dry and cracked on top, about 11 minutes. Slide parchment with cookies onto work surface; cool cookies. Repeat with remaining batter, cooling sheets completely.
Assembly and serving: Arrange 1 macaroon, flat side up, on work surface. Drop 1 scant tablespoon filling onto cookie. Top with second macaroon, flat side down. Press lightly to adhere, making sandwich. Repeat with remaining macaroons and filling. Arrange macaroons on platter. Cover; chill at least 2 hours and up to 1 day. Serve cold.
Makes 24 sandwich cookies.
Bon Appétit
Cooking Class
May 2001
1 comment:
I remember when you had us over in Sanford and you made a great meal that I would never think of making. It was the first time you made toffee or carmel from boiling a closed can of sweetened condensed milk. Call me "mom style" or unadventurous, I would never think of that - or need it!
And being in the nesting stage of pregnacy, you'd think I would be more into baking. Not this time! Actually I found a group of ladies that we do a cooking CO-OP every other month. We get a variety of recipes I would never try on my own! This month we made 11 meals for $30. It's awesome! I do look on your blog once a month or so and sorry that I've never responded.
Keep it up though! You never know when I"ll get inspired!
:) Amy Wedel
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