Ok, here goes the recipe, it is very simple, fool proof, the only thing you need is aprox 3 hours to let them dry at room temperature...

ALMOND MACAROONS

1 3/4 ground almonds. ( get sliced almonds and ground them in a food processor or similar)

1 1/3 cup sugar

3 whites ( organic eggs)

Pinch salt

1 teaspoon almond extract.

Powdered sugar as needed


1.Combine ground almonds with half the sugar.

2. In a different bowl add pinch of salt to the egg whites.Then gradually sprinkle in remaining sugar
while beating continuously, with egg beater. Continue
beating until the mixture becomes firm and gleams.

Add almond extract. Spoon in the almond sugar mixture (1) . Slowly and gently mix well.

That is for the first part.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, With the help of two teaspoon put walnut-size balls of the final mixture on the
baking sheets. Be sure to leave sufficient space between each one. Dust generously with powdered sugar ( use a wire colander or similar for dusting).
Once done let them dry at room temperature for aprox 3 hours.

After that, place immediately on middle rack of an oven preheated
275 degrees for 30' , allowing them to dry more than bake. They should become BEIGE/LIGHT BROWN . Remove immediately from baking sheet. Dust again with powdered sugar and allow to cool. That is all.


Good luck.

mms,

The Lock & Lock boxes have clamps on all 4 sides, with a seal that runs underneath the lid. Once the clamps are...well, clamped, there's a very tight seal. I have a large box that keeps romaine lettuce fresh and crisp for over a week, and others for mushrooms and such. Some are sandwich-size, others just right for leftovers.

Underhill--Thanks:)

Forgive me if this is a stupid question, but the posted recipe does not include coconut....I thought the Laduree macaroons everyone raves about were COCONUT macaroons?

Coconut??? Laduree has many flavours of macaroons--vanilla, chocolate, rose, cherry, pistachio, etc.

Are you thinking of those coconut macaroon cookies that are sold at the supermarket??? Laduree macaroons are NOTHING like that. NOTHING!!

Thin

Just quoting:

<i>Underhill - yes, it's the <b>coconut</b> macarOOn recipe I'd love to have. Last year in Chamonix, the bakery near our apartment had them.</i>

And:

<i>iMacarOOns are actually coconut; what you want are macarOns, quite a different cookie.</i>


So are Laduree Macroons, macaroons or macarons?

http://www.laduree.fr/public_fr/hist...n.htm.plus.htm

Ladur&eacute;e's website uses <i>Macaron</i> in the French webpage, but <i>Macaroon</i> in the English webpage.

Macaroon is just the English word taken from the French word macaron, that's all. I think both came from an Italian word.

Now in the US, there is a custom to have a different recipe, but the words themselves don't define things.

YK, thank you! I was definitely thinking of these:

http://tinyurl.com/2gewvn

Rather than these:

http://tinyurl.com/68wkjh

I happen to love the former, so I can't wait to try the latter!!

I can still remember the moment I first bit into a Laduree <i>macaron</i>. The explosion of delicate flavor on my tongue was just incredible.

There is a pastry/chocolate shop in Boston's South End that sells French <i>macarons</i>, but those were far inferior to Laduree's.

I have NO DESIRE to eat American macaroons (the coconut ones). It's like comparing button mushrooms to black truffles.

Well, I like button mushrooms too!

sf7307- so do I. :) I didn't write that to insult you or anyone, rather as an anology that the American coconut macaroons are very, very different from the French <i>macarons</i>, even though they have the same &quot;name&quot;.

I could eat a dozen chocolate macarons right now.

The correct spelling in English is &quot;macaroon.&quot;

See NY Times article:



http://tinyurl.com/6dc9no

If you use the French spelling, you need to italicize, as yk has done.

In any language, they are great!

BTW, does anyone know if there are places in Manhattan that makes a decent French <i>macaron</i>, as good as Laduree? All this talk is making me crave for some... I will be in NYC in mid-March, and would like to get some if they're worth the $.

I was wondering the same thing about San Francisco?

yes, the closest I have found to the quality of Laduree macarons in the states is at Macaron Cafe in midtown:

Macaron Cafe
161 W 36th St
New York, NY 10018
(646) 573-5048
www.macaroncafe.com (not a very helpful site...)

They have them in an incredible array of flavors: deep chocolate, pistachio, violet, berry w/ vanilla ganache, saffron, caramel, etc.

They are really good. In fact, now that I'm thinking of them, I may have to stop and get some on the way home...

The extremely expensive Maison du Chocolat in NYC offers Laudree quality macarons.

I