The first almond macaroons I tried were ones made by a wonderful bakery right off of the BART Rockridge station in Oakland, CA. If memory serves me correctly, it was called Grace Bakery, now a wholesale bread provider (no longer at their original location). At the time, I was a new student at CCAC and these chewy, golden delicacies, topped with thinly sliced almonds became one of my favorite treats. I would purchase a little stash of almond macaroons to take home and my mom and I would eat them all before the day was over.
Chandra Morris, from Bozeman, MT, shared this recipe with me many years ago. It makes a cookie that has a wonderful outer shell with a chewy, light interior and an intense almond aroma. The trick to the nice crust on this cookie is letting them sit out for at least 30 minutes.
Almond Macaroons
1/2 pound almond paste
1 cup granulated sugar
3 egg whites at room temperature
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons cake flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cover cookie sheets with parchment paper. Using your hands or a food processor, soften the almond paste. Gradually blend in the granulated sugar and egg whites. Mix in the confectioners' sugar, flour and salt.
2. Force the dough through a cookie press or drop by teaspoonfuls onto the parchment paper covered cookie sheets. Cover and let stand 30 minutes.
3. Bake 25 minutes, until golden. Lay the paper linings on a damp cloth, let cool, and peel off the macaroons. Cool the cookies completely and store in an airtight container. They will keep fresh for up to 5 days.
Makes 60 small cookies.