Passover Macaroons 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.

PARISIAN PASSOVER COCONUT MACAROONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease 2 baking sheets and dust with cake meal, knocking off any excess.
• Make meringue:
• Cook sugar and water in a small heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Boil syrup, without stirring, until it reaches soft-ball stage (or registers 238°F on a candy thermometer).
• While syrup boils, beat whites in standing mixer on low speed until stiff peaks form. Gradually pour hot syrup in a thin stream down side of bowl into whites, beating constantly on high speed. (Be careful not to let syrup touch beaters when pouring, or it will spatter and harden.) Continue to beat until meringue is room temperature.
• Stir in coconut and spoon rounded teaspoons of meringue into mounds about 1 inch apart on baking sheets. Shape mounds into pyramids with wet fingertips.
• Bake macaroons 1 sheet at a time in middle of oven 12 minutes, or until just firm enough to be removed from baking sheet without losing their shape. Carefully transfer to a rack to cool. (Macaroons will harden as they cool.)

PASSOVER MACAROONS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F.
• Mix first 4 ingredients in large bowl. Stir in egg whites and almond extract until well blended.
• Drop teaspoonfuls of dough, 2 inches apart, onto lightly greased baking sheets. Press almond into center of each cookie.
• Bake 20 min. or until edges are golden brown. Immediately remove from baking sheets. Cool on wire racks.

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 -- 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:

• 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.