NUTELLA FILLED ALMOND MACARONS

By cuznvin

Ingredients

• Almond Macarons
• Yield: About 60 cookies, 2 inches in diameter
• 2 pounds (910 g) almond paste
• 1 pound (455 g) granulated sugar
• 6 to 8 egg whites (3/4 to 1 cup or 180 to 240 ml)

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat the oven to 410°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

2. Place the almond paste and sugar in a mixing bowl. Using the paddle attachment at low speed, blend in 1 egg white at a time, being careful not to get any lumps in the batter. Add as many egg whites as the batter will absorb without getting runny; this will vary depending on the firmness of the almond paste and, to some degree, the size of the egg whites.

3. Beat for a few minutes at high speed to a creamy consistency.

4. Place the batter in a pastry bag with a No. 6 (12-mm) plain tip. Pipe the batter in 1½-inch mounds onto sheet pans. They will spread slightly, so do not pipe them too close together.

5. Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes or until light brown.

6. Let the macarons cool attached to the parchment paper. To remove them from the paper, turn them upside down and peel the paper away from the cookies rather than the cookies from the paper. If they are difficult to remove, brush water on the back of the papers, turn right-side up, wait a few minutes, then try again. Macarons can be served as is or dipped in melted coating chocolate or sandwiched together with ganache, buttercream or jam.

(Adapted from The Professional Pastry Chef by Bo Friberg)