Almond Orange Macaroons
Macaroons are humble little nut-based cookies traditionally served at Passover and Easter time. Growing up, I wasn't a huge fan of the coconut version my mom used to bring home, but I’m in love with this homemade almond version. Paired with the brightness of orange, these crisp-on-the-outside, chewy-on-the-inside cookies are a simple delight. They’re perfect for Passover because there’s no flour or leavening agent, and you could put your friends and family to work rolling the little balls of cookie dough while you relax with some wine.
As an added bonus, macaroons are naturally gluten-free so bookmark this recipe whenever you’re baking for your gluten-free friends.
Almond Orange Macaroons Recipe:
Yield:
24 cookies
Difficulty:
Easy
Ingredients:
300 grams almond meal / almond flour
160 grams granulated sugar, plus 3-4 TBSP extra for coating the macaroons
Pinch Kosher salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
¼ tsp orange oil (not juice or extract) or zest from one whole orange.
24 whole unsalted almonds and / or chocolate chips to top
Instructions:
In a medium size bowl, thoroughly whisk together almond flour, 160 g sugar, and salt.
Add orange zest and egg and combine with a wooden spoon or pulse in a processor until a dough forms. (The dough is stiff, so it’s much faster and easier to combine in a processor if you have one.)
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Toward the end of the chilling time, preheat oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
Put remaining granulated sugar in a small bowl. Roll approximate tablespoonfuls of dough into balls. Coat each ball with sugar and place on prepared pan. Press one almond or chocolate chip into each ball.
Tip: These cookies don’t spread out so you can bake all 24 on a single baking sheet.
Bake for 8-10 minutes. Almond macaroons will still be pale and soft when you take them out of the oven, but will firm up as they cool.
Cool for 5 minutes in the pan then transfer to cooking rack to cool completely. They’re best eaten on the day they’re made, but will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
I think they’d be wonderful with a cup of tea.
