Light Almond Macaroons For Passover Recipes

DARK CHOCOLATE DIPPED MACAROONS

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, use a fork to stir together the shredded coconut, potato starch, sugar and salt till well blended. Break up any chunks of potato starch with the fork.
• In a smaller bowl, whisk together the egg whites and vanilla till frothy.
• Pour the egg white mixture into the dried coconut mixture. Use the fork to stir the batter together, making sure the coconut is fully and evenly moistened by the egg whites. Let the mixture sit for 20-30 minutes while the coconut rehydrates.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Stir the batter again with a fork. Line a baking sheet with parchment or with a Silpat. Scoop up the batter in tablespoonfuls and drop them onto the baking sheet, evenly spaced. They won't spread, so you can bake them fairly close together.The batter will be delicate... it won't "hold" together the way a cookie dough does, but as they bake they'll stick together and solidify. When you've dropped all of the batter onto your baking sheets, use wet fingers to gently shape the macaroons into rough domes or haystacks. Don't worry, they're not supposed to be perfect.
• Bake the macaroons for 20-25 minutes till the bottom edges turn golden and the tips of the coconut shreds start to brown. Remove from the oven. Don't over-bake or they will become dry.
• Let the macaroons cool directly on the baking sheet before moving them. Trying to move them too soon will cause them to crumble.
• When the macaroons have cooled completely, you can dip and decorate them. First, place them on a flat surface lined with parchment paper. Melt 9 oz dark chocolate, either in the microwave or in a double boiler. I melt mine in the microwave at 50% power for 1 minute, stir, then continue to melt in 15 second bursts at 50% power till the chocolate becomes smooth.Grasp each macaroon at the top and dip the wider base into the melted chocolate, twisting it into the chocolate and coating it about 1/4 inch up the sides.
• Pull macaroon up and let excess chocolate drip back into the bowl (you may need to "help" the excess off with your finger), then place the dipped macaroon onto the flat parchment. Repeat for remaining macaroons.
• When all the macaroons have been dipped, melt the remaining 4 oz dark chocolate and scoop it into a sealing bag (reusable or disposable). Gently squeeze all of the chocolate to one lower corner of the bag, then close the top of the bag, leaving a small gap so it's not completely sealed shut and air can escape. In the corner where you've pushed the melted chocolate, use scissors to snip a very small corner off of the bag. You'll be able to squeeze a small, thin stream of chocolate through this whole. Drizzle the tops of the macaroons with the chocolate, making a zig-zag motion to decorate.
• Once the macaroons have been decorated, allow them to dry. Depending on the weather or temperature in your home, this can take several hours up to overnight. To speed the process, decorate macaroons on a parchment-lined tray and place them in the refrigerator; the chocolate will firm up faster that way.
• Once the macaroons are completely dry, store them in a sealed Tupperware container in single layers divided by parchment or wax paper. A sealed container is very important, it will keep the macaroons moist and stop them from drying out. Store at room temperature for up to 4 days, or in the refrigerator for 7 days or longer.

ALMOND MACAROONS -- THE PASSOVER COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine all the ingredients, except for the egg whites.
• Stir in the egg whites.
• The dough will be like thick, wet sand.
• Roll into one inch balls.
• Place on a greased (or foil lined, or parchment paper lined) cookie sheet and flatten slightly.
• Press an almond sliver into each cookie.
• Bake at 350°F.
• for 15-20 minutes, until dry and lightly brown.

PASSOVER ALMOND MACAROONS

Steps:

• Beat egg yolks well.
• Add sugar, and beat until mixture is lemon colored.
• Add the ground almonds and mix thoroughly.
• Chill for one hour in the refrigerator.
• Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C).
• Take small pieces of the mixture and shape into small balls.
• (I used a melon baller, for a 5/8-3/4" diameter cookie).
• Place the macaroons on a greased baking sheet, 1 inch apart.
• Top with half an almond.
• Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
• Notes: These cookies spread.
• I have made up to a triple batch with good results.
• Be careful if using a food processor to powder the almonds.
• They seem to turn the nuts into almond butter, rather than a flour-like consistency.

ALMOND MACAROONS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 275°F. In an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Add the lemon zest. Gradually add the sugar and beat until the whites are very stiff and shiny but not dry. Fold in the ground almonds.
• Cover 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil and spray or grease them. Using 2 teaspoons, take a heaping teaspoon of batter in one and scoop it off onto the baking sheet using the other teaspoon. Place the cookies 1 to 1 1/2 inches apart. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
• Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the cookies are firm and slightly brown. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before removing the cookies from the baking sheets to a rack. When cool, store in an air-tight container.

PASSOVER ALMOND MACAROONS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Whip the egg whites to almost-stiff peaks in the bowl of an electric mixer. In another bowl, stir together the sugar, ground almonds, and almond extract. Fold the sugar-and-almond mixture gently into the egg whites in three batches.
• Drop teaspoons of the batter onto the baking sheet, and bake for about 15 minutes, or until just dry.

ALMENDRADOS (ALMOND-LEMON MACAROONS)

Steps:

• Using a food processor equipped with a metal blade, grind 2 cups almonds very finely. Add 3/4 cup sugar, the egg and lemon zest, and pulse to make a cohesive dough. Transfer to a medium bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick liner. Place remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a small bowl.
• Pinching off pieces of dough about the size of a walnut, roll them first into balls, then into sugar. Gently press an almond point first into top of each cookie, so that half the almond can be seen. Arrange cookies one inch apart on baking sheet.
• Bake until cookies have barest hint of color but still remain soft, 8 to 10 minutes. (Cookies must be soft when removed from oven to avoid excess hardening when they cool.) Cool completely, and store in an airtight container.