Macaroons

My first attempt at macaroons - they tasted wonderful and completely gluten-free, however since it was my first time ever having a macaroon, its hard to say whether they came out "correctly". I made them with almonds because I was unable to find hazelnuts, but I would like to track down some hazelnuts and compare.

Hazelnut Macaroon Sandwiches

Ingredients:

4 egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 cup superfine sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup toasted, skinned and ground hazelnuts ( I used almond flour and toasted it in a frying pan on the stove)
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
About 2/3 cup ganache filling ( refrigerate until cool and thick enough to spread

Directions:

Line 2 rimless baking sheets with parchment paper. Have ready a third rimless baking sheet, unlined.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the egg whites and cream of tartar and beat on medium speed until the whites begin to thicken. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat just until soft peaks form. Slowly add the superfine sugar and continue to beat until stiff, shiny peaks form. Beat in the vanilla until blended. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the hazelnuts and confectioners sugar until incorporated.

Scoop the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip. Pipe mounds 1 1/2 inches in diameter onto the prepared baking sheets spacing the mounds 1 inch apart ( I made them in all different sizes to test; the ones where the dough was the size of a quarter going in were the best.) With a damp fingertip, gently smooth any pointy tips. Let the stand, uncovered, at room temperature for 35 to 45 minutes.

Preheat an oven to 350F.

Bake the cookies, 1 sheet at a time, putting the cookie-filled baking sheet on opt of the unlined baking sheet. (This insulates the top baking sheet so the cookie bottoms do not darken too much.) Bake until the tops and bottoms are firm and golden, 10 to 13 minutes.

Remove the baking sheet form the oven, carefully lift the parchment, one end at a time, and sprinkle about 2 tablespoons water under the paper. Be careful that the steam does not burn you and that the water does not splash on the cookies. (The steam loosens the cookies form the paper.) After 3 minutes, slide the parchment paper off the baking sheet, peel the cookies from the paper and transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.

Turn half of the cookies bottom side up. Spread a tin layer of the ganache filling ( about 1 rounded tsp.) over the cookie bottoms, Press a plain cookie, bottoms side down, onto the ganache. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Makes about 24 cookies.

Ganache Filling

Ingredients:

6oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate finely chopped- I used semisweet baking chocolate
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions:

In a heat proof bowl, combine the chocolate and butter.

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the cream just to a boil. Remove from the heat and immediately pour the cream over the chocolate and butter. Using a hand held whisk, stir the mixture until the chocolate and butter melt and are smooth. Let cool until spreadable.

Makes about 1 1/3 cups.