I didn’t realize I loved confections. That may sound pretty dumb but, before I went gluten free I would have said I’m not that into cakes, pastries, cookies etc. That said, when you can no longer have a thing it’s amazing how much you can grow to miss something you never really cared much about in the first place. Oh desire! So, in the past year, I’ve developed a love for always gluten-free macarons. It’s a bit surprising how diverse french macarons can be. Some are chewy and soft, other firm and crispy while others are simply flavorless with so much sugar it can make your teeth ache. I don’t know which way is the “right” way but I know that this style is the one for me. It has a lovely crispy shell and a tender almost chewy inside. It’s heavy on honest-to-goodness pistachio flavor and I love the richness and slight tang of the cream cheese filling instead of the sweeter, stiffer buttercream that I often see. I use almond meal instead of flour because it’s easier, cheaper and a bit denser which I like. If you want a more traditional macaron shell buy some almond flour, if not simply grind raw almonds into a meal using a food processor.
I will say that macarons are a bit involved so take a deep breath and don’t worry if they come out a bit wonky. They will be DELICIOUS!
- ½ cup almond meal or flour
- 1 cup shelled pistachios, ground in food processor to a fine meal
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons regular white sugar
- ½ teaspoon food coloring (optional)
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and fit a pastry bag with a plain tip.
- In a food processor, grind together almond meal, pistachios and powdered sugar. Sift through fine mess sieve into a bowl. Reserve the larger mixture that didn't pass through the sieve to add back into the filling
- In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites with an electric whisk/beater until foamy. Keep whipping and slowly add in the regular white sugar. Add food coloring now if desired then whip until the egg whites become thick and form stiff peaks.
- Gently fold dry ingredients into the egg whites with a rubber spatula, taking care to scrape down the edges of the bowl until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the pastry bag and squeeze onto baking sheet in 2 inch circles. This should make about 16 circles or so. Rap pans firmly on counter to dislodge air bubbles and let sit for two hours to allow a skin to form (this is the making of a crisp shell).
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake macarons for 15+ minutes until the cookies look just a touch golden. Let cool completely.
- Throw cream cheese in a bowl and beat with a hand mixer until smooth. While mixing add in the remaining ½ cup powdered sugar and 3 Tablespoons of the reserved nut mixture that did not pass through the sieve and beat for a few minutes until smooth, light and fluffy.
- Spoon small spoonfuls of the filling on the bottoms of the macaron cookies and gently sandwich together. They can be eaten immediately but are best if left to sit overnight in the refrigerator to reach the desired texture. Remove from fridge and serve at room temp.
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