I’ve finally come up with a macaron recipe that uses hazelnuts. They’re expensive little buggers, but they do have a flavor that I love. And, of course, I’ve done all the experimenting on this one, so you can save those ducats.
1 5-oz package of hazelnuts, untoasted
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
3 egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
Nutella
Put about half the hazelnuts into the food processor and whirl. Once they are ground, measure them and put one cup back into the bowl. Then add the cocoa and the powdered sugar, and whirl again. You want the ingredients blended and finely ground. Sift, and return any bits that don’t pass back to the bowl, to whirl again. Set aside.
Place your egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer, and let them go on medium speed until frothy. Add the pinch of salt and the vanilla. Go up to medium high, and add the sugar gradually. Let them whip until you have stiff, shiny peaks.
Now sprinkle half of the nut mixture over the meringue and fold with your rubber spatula. When it is mostly mixed in, sprinkle on the rest of the nuts. Fold that into the meringue. Remember you want a flowing but not runny mixture. Go a turn at a time, checking the consistency constantly.
When your mixture is like lava, transfer to a large piping back with a large round tip. Set it aside for 30 minutes (I like to leave mine balanced in a drinking glass.) Meanwhile heat the oven to 315º and line large baking sheets with parchment paper. Now hold the piping bag perpendicular to the sheet, and pipe out 1 1/2 inch rounds. When you’re done, give the sheets a good whack on the counter top, and leave them for at least 45 minutes, or until they don’t feel tacky when you lightly touch with your fingertip. Bake one sheet at a time for about 15 to 18 minutes, or until the cookies are set.
Carefully remove them from the paper and cool completely on a wire rack. Match them up by size, and sandwich the cookies together with Nutella.
A note about macaron: You need to put them in the fridge and let them sit there for about 24 hours. You will find that this “aging” of the cookies will smooth out a multitude of sins that you see in your freshly-baked cookies. Also, this gives the filling time to accomplish a mind meld with the cookies, which gives them that distinctive chewy/crisp texture contrast.
