Pix’s Raspberry-Almond Macaroons

This is one of the best macaroons we've ever had. These are made the French way with almonds, not coconut. These come come Cheryl Wakerhauser of Pix Patisserie in Portland, Oregon. Beware, these are totally addicting.

French-style macaroons typically involve two meringue-like cookies, with a paperthin crunchy exterior and a moist, almost cake like interior, sandwiched together with ganache or pastry cream, with melt-in-your-mouth results.

Here's the drill:

Preheat conventional oven to 325 degrees or, preferably, a convection oven to 315 degrees. Whisk egg whites in mixer. When they start to turn white, add the sugar. Whisk until firm, but do not overmix or whites will be dry and brittle. To check, lift whisk or beaters; they should leave a ribbon pattern that stays on the surface of the meringue.

Toss together almond meal and powdered sugar. Fold this mixture into meringue; fold in red coloring. Put mixture into pastry bag with wide, round tip. Pipe mounds the size of a quarter onto a baking sheet lined with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper. Tops of cookies should be smooth with no points sticking up. Bake approximately 10 to 12 minutes or until macaroons are set with as little browning as possible. Repeat with remaining dough. Cool.

Make filling. In food processor, combine chilled butter and almond paste until smooth. Stir in raspberry jam. Sandwich two macaroons together with about a teaspoon of filling. Note: Purchase almond meal at Fred Meyer Nutrition Centers or Wild Oats Natural Marketplace.

Chocolate-Cinnamon-Almond variation: Prepare macaroons using 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Heat 11/2 cups whipping cream until boiling; remove from heat. Place 2 cups bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (chips or small pieces) in a food processor. Pour hot cream over chocolate in a food processor. Let sit 1 minute and then process until smooth. Let stand until piping consistency, then pipe onto flat side of cinnamon macaroon. Top with second macaroon.

Notes: The goal is to achieve a very light, crisp crust and moist, chewy interior.

Baking at too low a temperature will dry them, like a meringue, and just a minute too long will ruin the texture. It's all about texture.

Pipe macaroon dough onto a lined baking sheet and lets it sit for a few minutes to form a skin before baking, which helps ensure a smooth top without cracks. Also, using fresh egg whites doesn't work quite as well as those that have aged for a few days. Bake the cookies a day ahead and keep them in the refrigerator to allow time for the flavors to develop.

Source: Cheryl Wakerhauser - Pix Patisserie - Portland, Ore.

Sub Rosa Recipes