In Jewish Holiday Cooking, Jayne Cohen shares a wide-ranging collection of traditional Jewish recipes, as well as inventive new creations and contemporary variations on the classic dishes. The book is organized around the major Jewish holidays and includes nearly 300 recipes and variations, plus suggested menus tailored to each occasion, all conforming to kosher dietary laws.
Perfect for Passover, these simply made macaroons are imbued with the vivid taste of hazelnut--the toasty flavor of that transcendent Italian gelato, nocciola.
Nuts can turn rancid easily if not properly stored, so make sure yours are fresh and sweet-tasting.
Yield: 25 to 30 macaroons
2 1/3 cups shelled hazelnuts (also called filberts; about 12 ounces)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons white or granulated light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher-for-Passover pure almond extract, or 1 teaspoon kosher-for-Passover hazelnut-flavored liqueur, such as Frangelico, or another nut-flavored liqueur like amaretto (optional)
3 large egg whites
Preheat the oven to 350F. Toast the nuts: spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet, and roast in the oven, shaking occasionally, for about 15 minutes, until they are fragrant and most of the skins have popped. Wrap the nuts in a dish towel and let them cool slightly. Rub them vigorously against each other in the towel to remove most of the loose skins. Don’t bother about the remaining skins--they’ll just add to the flavor. You can turn the oven off for now.
When the nuts are completely cool, grind them with the sugar in the food processor, using the pulse motion, until chopped fine. They won’t be perfectly ground, and they shouldn’t be. With the machine on, add the extract or liqueur if you are using it, and the egg whites, a little at a time. Process just enough to combine the ingredients into a smooth paste. Scrape the mixture into a bowl and refrigerate, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 325F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. (You will probably need either to use two cookie sheets or work in batches.) Drop heaping tablespoons of batter on the cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. Smooth and flatten the tops slightly with the back of a spoon or your fingertips (the batter will be quite sticky, so you may have to dip you finger occasionally in cold water). Bake for about 15 minutes, until just dry to the touch, puffed, and beginning to color. Remove from the oven and transfer the sheet to a rack to cool or slide the parchment paper off. The macaroons will be very soft but will harden as they cool.
Don’t remove the macaroons until they have cooled completely, then carefully separate them from the parchment. They store well in airtight containers for at least 5 days.
