Published September 1, 1996.
We wanted to develop a great macaroon recipe so we could reproduce this classic French cookie at home. We found the task surprisingly simple: To make the cookies, we ground the almonds and sugar in a food processor, added egg whites and a little almond extract, and processed until the mixture became a stiff but cohesive dough. Next we dropped or piped the paste onto a parchment-lined sheet and baked. The result was a macaroon recipe for cookies that were moist and soft on the inside and crunchy-chewy on the outside.
Macaroons must be baked on parchment paper. They will stick to an ungreased sheet and spread on a greased one. You need a slightly less stiff dough if piping the macaroons, so add water, as needed, to make a pipeable paste.
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