Strawberry French Macaroons

F.I.N.A.L.L.Y. I have semi-succeeded in making a macaroon. *Applause please!*

Seriously, if baking was in the Olympics then French Macaroons would be the equivalent of surviving the moguls or landing a quad in figure skating. It has taken me several attempts to finally get the fluffiness of the cookie, and this particular batch would have received some minor deductions, but they look pretty and they taste GREAT so definitely a gold medal recipe. (Like the theme I'm going with here?)

I was first introduced to macaroons on a trip to Montreal (a former Olympic site I might add) I took in college. I was in heaven. The store we went too had such a variety of flavors, and even though they were a littttttttle pricey we bought a whole box. Suffice it to say those lasted about a second, so of course we had to go back later in our trip. 

I had no idea what these little cookie balls were. I grew up loving what I thought were the "real macaroons" those toasted coconut cookies that are so delightful. Unfortunately, I quickly learned that their French cousins are far superior. French macaroons aren't exactly what you first anticipate them to be. It looks like a cookie sandwich, but when you pick it up its as light as a feather! Then you bite into the cookie and it just dissolves in your mouth. They are light and airy and not to mention beautiful to look at!

From a cooking perspective what's really fun about these cookies is how many flavors you can create. There are lots of cupcake flavors and such but you are still kind of limited. With these there are no limits. There are so many flavors that you can turn them into, and a lot of that rests in the cream or jelly you put in the center. I had one in New York this winter that was called the Elvis and was a peanut butter and banana macaroon...scoff all you want it was DELICIOUS. For this recipe I stuck with a basic flavor and a basic jelly because I was so determined to just get the cookie right! 

The first few times I tried to make them were unsuccessful. I don't know if it was the weather, my impatience, or just inexperience. I have heard though, that much like gingerbread, a rainy day can ruin your batch. This recipe came from Ricardo Cooking and what I really love about is that it used actual almonds instead of almond flour. I'm not sure if it made the difference in the cookies working, but I'm going to assume it was the savior ingredient. 

If you try this recipe and it doesn't work the first time. Don't be afraid to give it another go! They make wonderful Valentine's day treats too!

Strawberry French Macaroons

   Ingredients 

1 1/2 C. ground almonds

1 C. powdered sugar

3 egg whites

Red food coloring

1/2 C. Sugar

2 C. Strawberries, chopped

1 C. sugar

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Special utensils: candy thermometer, pastry bag

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. 

Step 2: Use a food processor to grind the almonds and powdered sugar into a VERY VERY fine powder. (This is essential otherwise your batter will be a tiny bit clumpy). 

Step 3: Use your hand mixer to beat the egg whites and food coloring until soft peaks form. Click here (not up yet) for a primer on beating egg whites. Add the sugar just a little bit at a time and continue beating until you are seeing stiff peaks form. 

Step 4: Use a spatula or wooden spoon to gently combine the dry mixture with the egg whites.

Step 5: Use a pastry bag (DO NOT TRY THIS ANY OTHER WAY it never works, at least it didn't for me). Fit the pastry bag with any normal tip. You just want a plain circle that has a decent size opening. Then squeeze out 1 inch circles on your baking sheets. They shouldn't expand too much, but be sure to leave plenty of room between the cookies. Shake the tray or gently bang it on the counter to flatten your cookie.

Step 6: Bake one sheet at a time leaving your oven door open slightly. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Smaller cookies will bake faster so keep an eye on them!

Step 7: While those bake. Combine the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Stir frequently.

Step 8: Once its at a boil place a candy thermometer in the center until it reaches 219 degrees. This is really important or it won't set right. Then let cool completely. 

Step 9: Spread some jelly on one cookie and then sandwich them together. And enjoy!

You could also use jelly from a jar if you prefer or don't want to make your own jelly. Just buy one that isn't too runny. 

This is a really tricky dessert to make even though it doesn't seem like it. So cut yourself some slack and keep trying if it doesn't go great the first time. Feel free to message me with any pointers or questions you might have!

I hope you love it! Happy Eating

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