Almond Orange Macaroons

Mirj's Note:

These are some of the most delicious cookies I have ever tasted. I like to peel the orange zest with my Microplane zester, which gives me a nice, powdery zest, but you can use a potato peeler and cut strips as well, since it will all get mixed up with the sugar in the food processor.

• Total Time: 35 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 48 macaroons

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup unsifted confectioners' sugar
• 1 orange, zest of
• 1⁄8; teaspoon salt
• 1 (7 ounce) package almond paste , diced
• 3 large egg whites

Directions:

1. Place the oven rack in the lowest position possible in your oven.
2. Preheat the oven to 300°F.
3. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Place the sugar, confectioners' sugar, orange zest and salt in the bowl of a food processor together with the steel knife.
5. Grind the zest very find with the sugar.
6. This will usually take 3 20-second whirls of the processor.
7. Scrape the work bowl with a spatula in between whirls and stir up the sugar mixture.
8. Scatter the diced almond paste evenly over the sugar mixture and give the processor about two more 10 seconds whirls.
9. The texture should be like coarse meal.
10. Again, scrape the work bowl in between whirls.
11. Add the egg whites and mix with about two 5 second whirls.
12. Don't forget to scrape the bowl at half-time.
13. Remove the steel knife and set aside.
14. Working directly from the food processor bowl, scoop up the dough in rounded 1/2 teaspoonfuls and drop onto the parchment lined baking sheets.
15. Space the cookies about 2 inches apart, these babies really spread as they bake.
16. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until lightly browned and crackly on top, about 20-25 minutes.
17. Remove the cookies together with the parchment paper to a wire rack to cool.
18. To remove the cooled cookies from the paper, loosen them carefully around the edges with a spatula, using short strokes.
19. These are not brittle cookies, and you should get the hang of it soon enough.
20. You can layer the macaroons between sheets of wax paper in an airtight Tupperware, and store them in a cool, dry spot.

Reviews

[Aunt Cookie]

These are so, so good! I also love that the prep takes place almost entirely in the food processor...so easy! Thanks for sharing this recipe; I am certain I will be making these often.

[Lunaraven_psi]

I can't believe I forgot to review this! I first baked these for my temple for Rosh Hashanah last year and they were a hit (once I managed to get them out of the house!) When I catered Passover, I baked them in the bottom of muffin tins and then used that for crusts for mini cheesecakes. Those went over really well too! The batter does spread though, I was worried when I first made them because I didn't expect it. I can't wait to try these with lemon zest too

[Cookin'Diva]

These cookies taste very much like the little Italian Amaretti cookies, with the addition of a very very subtle orange flavor. The cookies bake into a flat disc and they are airy and crisp, much like a meringue. I love Amaretti cookies so I found these cookies to be very enjoyable - in fact, I'm on my 4th one with a cup of coffee. Yummm.