As a college student studying abroad, I spent a great deal of time sauntering around the streets of Spain, on the hunt for local bakeries hiding in the copious nooks and crannies of European boulevards (because, let’s be honest—study abroad consists of little actual study.)  I had two favorite delicacies that I found myself ordering time and again despite bountiful trays of new, exciting delicacies luring me in with their elaborate architecture or powdered sugar finish. 

OMG, I made macaroons!

 

One of my favorites was the Spanish merengue, thin sheets of flaky pastry piped sky high with cloying, white meringue so light and ethereal it was served with a tiny spoon on the side…..a true caviar dream for a sugar fiend such as myself.  My other favorite was a dessert borrowed from neighboring France, the Parisian macaroon (or macaron): tiny, beautiful, colorful gems that are celebrated throughout Europe and beyond.  If you’ve never tried a French macaroon and have visions in your head of the more common coconut macaroon, erase them immediately.  French macaroons are in a class of their own…two delicate nut-based cookies sandwiching a complimentary filling (typically a ganache or buttercream) that bake up al dente, yielding their slight bite to a chewy center, and offered in a dazzling and dizzying array of flavors such as chocolate, pistachio, lemon, mocha and on and on and on. 

 

I will tell you this: for as simple and beautiful as the French macaroons seem, they are extremely tricky to execute, requiring steadfast precision and unwavering technique.  For my inaugural endeavor, I choose what is typically the most difficult flavor to master (chocolate) and turned to baking guru David Lebovitz for guidance, an American sugar guru in Paris who also writes a killer blog, which is where I found this recipe.  (Incidentally, I was fortunate enough to take a class from David while he was in Dallas and highly recommend his Perfect Scoop ice cream cookbook.)

 

Thrillingly, my first attempt was an overwhelming success, and I even managed to create the little “foot” on the bottom of each cookie, the macaroon’s quality calling card.  Here is my advice as a newly minted macaroon enthusiast: curb your impatience and allow the cookies to sit overnight.  In my excitement, I hastily ate one (ok, three) immediately upon cooling and was dismayed to find them stiff.  They need time to rest to settle into their optimal texture.

 

My mother graciously sent me a cookbook dedicated to the art of the macaroon so I promise you many more to come as I name this imperial dessert my new project/obsession of 2010.  Wish me luck!

 

Ingredients

Makes about fifteen cookies

 

Macaron Batter

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• ½ cup powdered almonds (about 2 ounces)
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 2 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 5 tablespoons granulated sugar

 

Chocolate Filling

• ½ cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
• 4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces

 

Macaroons galore!

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (180 degrees C).

 

 

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and have a pastry bag with a plain tip (about 1/2-inch) ready.  Katy’s note: if you don’t have a pastry bag, use a large Ziploc bag with the tip cut off.

 

 

Grind together the powdered sugar with the almond powder and cocoa so there are no lumps; use a blender or food processor since almond meal that you buy isn’t quite fine enough.

 

 

In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they begin to rise and hold their shape. While whipping, beat in the granulated sugar until very stiff and firm, about 2 minutes.

 

 

Carefully fold the dry ingredients, in two batches, into the beaten egg whites with a flexible rubber spatula. When the mixture is just smooth and there are no streaks of egg white, stop folding and scrape the batter into the pastry bag.

 

 

Pipe the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheets in 1-inch circles (about 1 T of batter), evenly spaced one-inch apart.

 

 

Rap the baking sheet a few times firmly on the counter top to flatten the macarons, then bake them for 15-18 minutes. Let cool completely then remove from baking sheet.

The proverbial macaroon "foot"

 

 

To make the chocolate filling:

Heat the cream in a small saucepan with the corn syrup. When the cream just begins to boil at the edges, remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate. Let sit one minute, then stir until smooth. Stir in the pieces of butter. Let cool completely before using.

 

Filling the macaroons