French Macaroons

Say the word macaroon and you'll see me stick my tongue out.  Add the word French in front of it and it's a different story altogether.  Honestly, when I first saw the recipe on marthastewart.com I didn't care what they tasted like.  I thought they were the cutest little things and I had to make them.  However, I was pleasantly surprised when I told Sir to eat one and he said they were actually good.  I couldn't eat one because I had my Invisalign in and it's a pain to take it out just to have a treat.  I was so happy they were edible and I shared them with my family who opined on their goodness.  Martha stated that the possibilities for the filling are endless.  I made my fillings out of a simple buttercream frosting; I filled some with just the plain buttercream and the rest with a mixture of buttercream and blackberry preserves.  They were equally yummy.  I can't wait to make them again - I know they will come out better the second time now that I know what I'm doing - and I'm thinking Nutella.

French Macaroons

* 1 cup confectioners' sugar

* 3/4 cup almond flour

* 2 large egg whites, room temperature

* Pinch of cream of tartar

* 1/4 cup superfine sugar

*Filling of your choice {see recipe}

Directions

1. Pulse confectioners' sugar and almond flour in a food processor until combined. Sift mixture 2 times.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk whites with a mixer on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar, and whisk until soft peaks form. Reduce speed to low, then add superfine sugar. Increase speed to high, and whisk until stiff peaks form, about 8 minutes. Sift flour mixture over whites, and fold until mixture is smooth and shiny.

3. Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip, and pipe 3/4-inch rounds 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets, dragging pastry tip to the side of rounds rather than forming peaks. Tap bottom of each sheet on work surface to release trapped air. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake 1 sheet at a time, rotating halfway through, until macaroons are crisp and firm, about 10 minutes. After each batch, increase oven temperature to 375 degrees, heat for 5 minutes, then reduce to 325 degrees.

4. Let macaroons cool on sheets for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. (If macaroons stick, spray water underneath parchment on hot sheet. The steam will help release macaroons.)

5. Sandwich 2 same-size macaroons with 1 teaspoon jam. Serve immediately, or stack between layers of parchment, wrap in plastic, and freeze for up to 3 months.

{Recipe from Martha Stewart Living}