Pine Nut Macaroons Food

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.

MACAROONS

Steps:

• In a food processor grind fine the whole almonds with the sugar and salt. In a bowl beat the whites until they are foamy (just before they hold soft peaks) and fold in the almond mixture gently but thoroughly. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and butter the parchment. Spoon the batter onto the parchment, 2 inches apart. Bake the macaroons in the middle of a preheated 300 degrees F. oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are golden around the edges, and let them cool on the parchment. Peel the macaroons from the parchment and store them in an airtight container.

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.)

PINE NUT MACAROONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
• Break almond paste into pieces and mix together with sugar, using your hands to crumble paste. In a separate bowl, separate the eggs and beat the whites into soft peaks. Slowly add to almond paste mixture and mix until just blended.
• Place pine nuts into bowl. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and press into nuts. Coat evenly and place on cookie sheets about 1 inch apart.
• Bake 15 to 17 minutes, until lightly golden. Let cool on cookie sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to racks.

PIGNOLI COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F Line to baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Place the almond paste, sugar, egg white, and salt into the work bowl of a food processor. Process until it is well mixed and has the consistency of a thick paste.
• Put the pignoli into a shallow bowl. Using a teaspoon, drop a small amount of dough into the pignoli. Roll the cookie around to coat it with pignoli. Remove the cookie from the pignoli and form it into a small ball. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough until you have 2 pans of cookies. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, depending upon the size of the cookies. Rotate the pans at least once during the baking. The cookies are done when even so slightly golden on the top. Don't overbake these -- you want them to be chewy on the inside and they'll firm up after you take them out of the oven. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month.

PINE NUT MACAROONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
• Break almond paste into pieces and mix together with sugar, using your hands to crumble paste. In a separate bowl, separate the eggs and beat the whites into soft peaks. Slowly add to almond paste mixture and mix until just blended.
• Place pine nuts into bowl. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and press into nuts. Coat evenly and place on cookie sheets about 1 inch apart.
• Bake 15 to 17 minutes, until lightly golden. Let cool on cookie sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to racks.