Pine Nut Macaroon Crescents Food

PINE NUT-ALMOND MACAROONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line large cookie sheet with foil. Combine Marsala and currants in heavy small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes. Cool.
• Finely grind almonds and 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts with sugar and flour in processor. Mix egg white with extract in medium bowl. Add to processor and blend until dough forms ball. Place dough in bowl. Mix in currants. Shape dough between palms into 3/4-inch-diameter balls. Roll in 1 cup pine nuts to cover, pressing to adhere. Flatten each to 1 1/2-inch round. Space evenly on cookie sheet. Bake until golden brown about 15 minutes. Cool slightly. Remove cookies from foil using metal spatula and cool on rack. (Can be prepared 4 days ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.)

ALMOND-PINE NUT MACAROONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 cookie trays with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Spread the pine nuts onto a jelly-roll pan lined with waxed or parchment paper.
• Break the almond paste into chunks and place in the bowl of a food processor. Add the sugar and process until the mixture is homogenous, stopping once to scrape down the bowl using a rubber spatula. Add the egg whites and process until smooth. Scrape again and process for a few more seconds.
• The mixture will be sticky, but with a light touch and moist hands it can be gently rolled. Keep a damp towel nearby to wipe and wet your hands. Using damp hands, round the mix into scant 1-inch balls and drop the balls onto the tray of pine nuts. Once you have 3 to 4 balls formed, roll them in the nuts to cover completely. Place about 16 balls 1 1/2-inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake the first tray while preparing the second, until the cookies are pale golden, and puffy, about 25 minutes. Place the baking sheets on wire cooling racks and cool the cookies completely before lifting them off. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 1 week.

PINE NUT CRESCENTS

Steps:

• Butter and lightly flour heavy large baking sheet. Finely grind almonds in processor. Add sugar, powdered sugar, flour and salt; process until well blended. Add egg whites; process until smooth dough forms (dough will be very sticky).
• Spread pine nuts on floured surface. Using floured hands, form dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in pine nuts, pressing slightly to adhere. Form balls into crescents. Transfer to prepared baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart. Let cookies stand at room temperature at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours before baking.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake cookies until golden brown, about 18 minutes. Transfer cookies to rack and cool completely. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Store in airtight container.)