I had a few egg whites to use up so I decided to give these “Almond Macaroons with Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache” from the Flour bakery cookbook a try. Sweet, chewy almond cookies filled with chocolate–a nice change from my usual repertoire and easy to make.
Ingredients
3 1/4 cups (520 grams) blanched almonds
2 2/3 cups (540 grams) sugar
6 egg whites
2 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp kosher salt
Ganache:
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment.
In food processor pulse almonds just until they are a fine powder. Remove 1 cup and set aside. Add sugar to almonds in food processor and process until completely mixed, 10-15 seconds. Add egg whites and process until well combined, about 30 seconds.
Transfer almond mixture to a bowl and add reserved ground almonds. Fold in almond extract and salt.
Use small spoon or cookie scoop to make walnut sized rounds on prepared cookie sheet, spacing about 2″ apart.
Bake in center of oven until light golden brown around edges, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely on sheet.
Make Ganache:
Finely chop chocolate and put in heat-proof bowl. Scald cream in small saucepan over medium heat (until small bubbles form around edge of pan).
Pour hot cream over chocolate and let sit 30 seconds; then whisk slowly until smooth. Let sit at room temperature until thick enough to spread–about 1 hour. Spread about 1 Tablespoon of Ganache between two cookies.
Makes about 20 sandwich cookies.
