Over the holidays, we had plenty of opportunities to expand on the series started with this post. Unfortunately, my efficiency in getting to the table ready to eat continuously interfered with any thought of making a food-related post.
Last night, as Natasha was making one of her favorites, she decided that I have been remiss in giving her a regular guest spot on this blog for too long. So, here we go, from our kitchen: Almond Macaroons.
The recipe:
Makes 12
1⅓ cup of blanched almonds, toasted
⅞ cup of superfine sugar
2 egg whites
½ tbs almond or vanilla extract
confectioner’s sugar, for dusting – optional
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a large baking sheet with non-stick baking paper. Reserve 12 almonds for decorating. In a food processor fitted with metal blade, process the rest of the almonds and sugar until finely ground.
- With the machine running, slowly pour in enough of the egg whites to form a soft dough. Add almond or vanilla extract and pulse to mix.
- With moistened hands, shape the mixture into walnut-size balls and arrange on the baking sheet.
- Press one of the reserved almonds onto each ball, flattening them slightly, and dust lightly with confectioner’s sugar. (I did not do this last time and the cookies still came out great)
- Bake the macaroons for about 10-12 minutes until the tops are golden and feel slightly firm. Transfer to a wire rack. Cool slightly, then peel the cookies off the paper and leave to cool completely.
To toast the almonds: Spread them on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until golden. Cool before grinding.
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By the way, by popular demand, the recipe for the original dish in the series, Chilies stuffed with fish paste, has been added to that post.
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