Hazelnut Macarons

These little cookies are delightful and delicious and I understand why they are so expensive.

Makes About: 15 Cookies (30 halves)

Takes About 1 hours

Difficulty: 2 out of 5

Prep:

Place a piece of parchment paper on 1 to 2 cookie sheets.

Ingredients:

2 egg whites (the egg yolks will not be used)

1/4 cup superfine sugar

A pinch of cream of tarter

1/2 cup ground almonds

1/4 cup ground hazelnuts

1 cup powdered sugar

1/3 cup hazelnut spread

Instructions:

- Step 1 - Whip the Egg Whites

In a large bowl, whip the 2 egg whites until soft peaks start to form.

- Step 2 - Add the Superfine Sugar

Add the 1/4 cup of superfine sugar (1 tablespoon at a time) and a pinch of cream of tarter until stiff peaks form and the egg whites are glossy.

Once glossy peaks have formed, set aside until needed.

- Step 3 - Sift the Dry Ingredients

In a separate medium sized bowl, sift together the 1/4 cup of hazelnut flour, the 1/2 cup of almond flour, and 1 cup of powdered sugar.

Do not force any pieces through the mesh. Any piece that is too large to go through the mesh can be discarded. The point of sifting the ingredients is making them as light as possible.

- Step 4 - Sift Again

Sift the dry ingredients (hazelnut flour, almond flour, and powdered sugar) again, but directly into the egg white mixture.

Do not skip this step because the dry ingredients need to be fluffy and light.

If any chunks sit in the mesh, do not force them through, instead dump them.

- Step 5 - Fold the Ingredients Together

Using a spatula, fold the egg whites and the flours together carefully and smoothly.

DO NOT WHIP

The goal is to keep as much air in the batter as possible.

Step 6 - Fill Pastry Bag

Fill a piping bag with the macaron batter.

- Step 7 - Pipe the Macarons

Pipe circles onto the prepped parchment paper so they are all the same size.

Tap the cookie sheets, a few times, hard on a counter to knock the large air bubbles out of the cookies.

Add more space, about an inch, in between the macarons - do not do what I did.

- Step 8 - Let the Macarons Rest

Set the macarons aside for about a half hour or until the tops are no longer sticky when touched lightly.

While they are resting, preheat the over to 325 degrees F.

- Step 9 - Bake

Bake the macarons for about 10-15 minutes or until baked through and the tops are stiff.

Let the macarons rest and cool completely - about 10 minuets.

- Step 10 - Fill the Macarons

Fill a piping bag with the hazelnut spread and pipe it onto one side of a macaron and add the another half to the top to create a sandwich.

- Step 11 - Enjoy!

Enjoy all these cookies with a nice glass of milk or just on their own.

Recipe adapted from Around the World in 80 Cakes' Hazelnut Macaorns with Natella Filling recipe.