MACROONS AND SHORTBREADS

bump-still lookin for macaroon recipes, ANYONE?

These look promising:

http://www.preparedpantry.com/easymacaroonsprintable.htm

http://www.recipeland.com/recipe/46147/

http://southernfood.about.com/od/coconutcookies/r/bl30223f.htm

http://southernfood.about.com/od/shortbread/r/bl21218a.htm

Great stuff about shortbread at Joy of Baking
http://www.joyofbaking.com/shortbreads/shortbread.html

basic - 1/2/3 (sugar/butter/flour)

I grew up with a very traditional shortbread - had to have rice flour in it.



Shortbread cookies at Joy of Baking (again - fabulous resource that's truly by and about cooks)

http://www.joyofbaking.com/shortbreads/shortbreadcookies.html

~~~

Joy of Baking on North American style coconut macaroons

http://www.joyofbaking.com/CoconutMacaroons.html

(the recipe is on the same page)

Thanks, y'all, this'll be good.....


thinking, one could dip those macaroons in some 70% type melted chocolate... (or is that just a california thing?)

PERFECT SARAH BERNHARDT COOKIES
Bay Area Embraces Chocolate Tradition
Jacqueline Higuera McMahon
Wednesday, February 7, 2001

The history of chocolate in the Bay Area is long and strong. From Gold Rush days, when Ghirardelli and Guittard opened shop, to today, with Sharffen Berger creating products to die for, Northern Californians have embraced chocolate.

I am a devoted chocoholic, and use that magic ingredient in everything from hot chocolate to dessert. My love affair with it stems from the early cups of hot chocolate my grandmother made at her old hacienda. She used only melted chocolate, sugar, milk, water and vanilla, and whipped the chocolate so each sip left you with a serious mustache all the way to your nostrils. Grandmama felt, as did the ancient Aztecs, who were the first to offer a taste of chocolate to the West, that the froth was the thing.

Chocolate extracts a certain loyalty whether it be to a remembered cup of hot chocolate, your mother's brownies or cookies like Sarah Bernhardts.

Those cookies, which I bought from a bakery in Mountain View, were a critical part of our traditional Big Game tailgate party. But one fateful Big Game Day, we bit into the cookies only to find they had been filled with fake whipped cream hidden under a waxy chocolate coating. The baker had left town with his recipe, never to return.

For years, I searched for those cookies -- even in Mexico City, where I found a version called Carlotas. Finally, I put together several recipes with the help of cookbook author and chocolate expert Maida Heatter. These are wickedly close to the ones I remember from the runaway baker. They're perfect for any chocoholic, and are especially wonderful for Valentine's Day.
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PERFECT SARAH BERNHARDT COOKIES

These cookies have a crisp macaroon base, topped with a dollop of chocolate mousse and a thin chocolate coating.

INGREDIENTS:
Macaroon Cookie Base

1 1/2 cups blanched almonds (may use part unblanched)

1 cup super-fine sugar

3 egg whites, at room temperature

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons rice flour

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla

Drop of almond extract

Chocolate Mousse Filling

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup water

4 egg yolks

6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

6 ounces whipping cream, whipped

Coating

6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

1 tablespoon shortening

INSTRUCTIONS: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

To make the cookies: Grind the almonds with the sugar in a food processor. Set aside.

Whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks, adding the powdered sugar and the rice flour toward the end of the whipping. Flavor with the vanilla and almond extract.

Fold the ground almonds into the egg whites. Place round dollops of the batter on the baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes, or until the cookies feel firm and are golden around the edges. Remove the cookies to a rack and let cool completely.

To make the filling: Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until clear. Put the egg yolks into the top of a double boiler; whisk to combine. Slowly drizzle in the hot sugar-water syrup, whisking constantly. Cook over simmering water for about 1 minute, or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Melt the chocolate and let cool to room temperature. Combine the chocolate and egg mixture, whisking to blend.

Whip the cream, then fold into the chocolate mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes, or until firm.

Turn each cookie upside down with the flat side facing up. Place a generous tablespoon of mousse filling on the flat side. Arrange the filled cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for a least 1 hour.

To make the coating: Melt the chocolate, stirring in the shortening. Let cool to barely lukewarm.

Remove the cookies from the freezer and dip each, mousse-side down, into the chocolate. Don't linger because you don't want the mousse to melt. Place the cookies chocolate-dipped side up on the baking sheet. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving. Or wrap well and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Yields 24 medium or 30 small cookies.

PER COOKIE: 180 calories, 3 g protein, 20 g carbohydrate, 11 g fat (4 g saturated), 36 mg cholesterol, 10 mg sodium, 1 g fiber.

s'funny, I edited the chocolate reference out of the macaroon paragraph I posted

There are quite a few choco variants on the American coconut macaroon at the link I posted.

I actually dislike chocolate, so does Mrs F. We are surrounded by a family of chocohols but it didnt rub off. Ill skip the choc dollop there BBB. thanks for the shortbreads and Macaroon recipes.

Sweetened macaroon coconut is at an all trime low price

well, we baked macaroons today and I have to say that the version we liked best ws the one with 3 c of sweet eggwhite whip in a coconut , flour and marachino cherry chunks. YOU REALLY HAVE TO BAKE EM LONGER THAN THE RECIPES SAY.

Now , we are sick of lookin at macaroons. I hope I dont barf em up . Whatever you do DONT EAT THE MACAROON BATTER IT IS WAAAY TOO RICH.

ALSO< WE USED DONUT SUGAR, which is like a coarser powdered sugar ( 200 sieve)

bye bye belt
Dont say the word cookie. I just polished off a huge plate of an assortment of holiday cookies from a neighbor. Stomach is too full. Ah, I love the holidays.

Oh darn, I had to come in here! Now I need a cookie!


<heads for the nice stash of cookies and brownies my brother sent>

6 years ago I started this thread and we still have only bought our SHORTBREAD COOKIES. Ive yet to try the recipe herein. ANY other shortbread recipes? or is this pretty much a one recipe cookie?