Almond Macaroon Cookies, a recipe.

Chocolate-covered almond macaroons


Macaroons

1 can almond paste
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
dash salt
1 cup sugar
2 to 3 egg whites (I think) or enough to get the macaroon dough to the
consistency of thick mayonnaise

Put almond paste, almond extract, salt and sugar into food processor
bowl. Process until it's thoroughly mixed. Add a couple of egg whites
and process until mixed. Add more whites if you need them for the dough
to be, as I said, the consistency of thick mayonnaise.
Pipe or spoon about 2-tablespoon-sized blobs of dough onto baking
sheets that have been lined with brown paper. Do not use parchment of
Silpat pan liners. I just cut up brown grocery bags. The blobs should
be a couple of inches apart, at least.
Bake the cookies in a 350 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until
lightly browned. Cool the cookies on the brown paper. When they are
cool, remove them thusly: Wet the backs of the brown paper. They must
be quite wet. Then carefully peel the cookies off the front and put on
a wire rack.

Buttercream (I usually make a double recipe; here are directions for
one recipe.)

In a small pan, stir together 7 tablespoons each sugar and water. Bring
to a boil over high heat; continue to boil until syrup reaches 230 to
234 degrees on a candy thermometer (or until syrup spins a 2-inch
thread when dropped from a fork or spoon).
In a small bowl of an electric mixer, beat 4 egg yolks until blended.
Beating constantly, slowly add hot syrup in a thin, steady stream; beat
until mixture is thick and lemon-colored and has cooled to room
temperature. Then beat in 2/3 cup unsalted butter (softened, but not
too soft and still cool), a tablespoon at a time, until blended. Beat
in 4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa. If mixture thins out and is dark and
runny from overbeating, refrigerate it, then beat it again.)

Chocolate glaze

5 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons solid vegetable shortening

Place chocolate and shortening in a small bowl and melt over simmering
water; stir until just melted. Cool until lukewarm.

Prepare macaroons, let cool. Prepare buttercream and mound a generous
tablespoon over the bottom of each cookie. Refrigerate until the
buttercream is firm.
Hold each cookie, buttercream side down, and dip in chocolate to coat
buttercream. Then place cookies on a pan or plate, chocolate side up,
and refrigerate until chocolate coating is set.