macaroons | thebrookcook

Dulce de Leche-Hazelnut Macaroons

These one-bowl cookies were quick to make and called for one of my favorite ingredients- dulce de leche. The crunchy roasted hazelnuts and chewy coconut provided nice contrasting textures as well.

This recipe was adapted from Quick-Shop-&-Prep 5 Ingredient Baking by Jennifer McHenry, via Scott Suchman of The Washington Post. I roasted and peeled the hazelnuts and adjusted the cookie size and resulting baking time. I double the recipe below and included them in my Christmas cookie assortment.

Yield: about 36 cookies

3 cups sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup raw hazelnuts
1 cup dulce de leche
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, preferably on convection.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners. Set aside a third rimmed baking sheet, unlined, for the hazelnuts.
Spread hazelnuts on the unlined, rimmed baking sheet. Toast in the 350-degree oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until you see the skins crack.
Immediately transfer the nuts to a clean dish towel; wrap up and vigorously massage the mass of nuts (through the towel) until the skins have loosened and fallen away. Discard the skins.
When cool enough to handle, chop the hazelnuts.
Combine the coconut, chopped hazelnuts, dulce de leche, vanilla extract and salt in a mixing bowl until thoroughly blended.
Using a small cookie scoop, drop by spoonfuls (about 36) on the baking sheets, spacing the spoonfuls an inch apart.
Bake, on the middle rack, one sheet at a time for 7 to 12 minutes, or until just set.
Cool completely on the sheet; repeat with the remaining macaroons.

Make Ahead: The macaroons can be stored in an airtight container for up to 10 days or frozen for up to 1 month.

One Year Ago:

Haselnussmakronen: Raspberry-Hazelnut Macaroons

Two Years Ago:

Spritz Butter Cookies

Three Years Ago:

Four Years Ago:

Pumpkin Bread

Haselnussmakronen: Raspberry-Hazelnut Macaroons

Oh my goodness… I hope it’s not too late to wish all of you a Happy New Year! 🙂

I am so behind on my posts- so please forgive me. I have to do a little catch-up with a couple of holiday cookie posts before I can move on! 😉

These Raspberry-Hazelnut Macaroons were a new addition to my Christmas cookie plates this year. I thought that they were special and tasty- but my biggest critics (read: my husband & my son) were skeptical. Well, let me tell you that TWO of my neighbors told me that they were their absolute favorite!! I was absolutely thrilled. 🙂

This recipe was adapted from Food and Wine, contributed by Luisa Weiss. I doubled the original recipe and reduced the baking time for a convection oven. These cookies are described as “extremely no-fuss”; they require minimal ingredients and no chilling time. Truly the hardest part of their preparation was roasting and peeling the hazelnuts!! I used a hand mixer (as instructed) but would use a stand mixer (with whisk attachment) next time to whip the whites to a little bit past soft peaks. My thought is that the cookies would be less flat as a result. I’ll keep you posted! 😉 They would also be wonderful for Valentine’s Day! ❤ ❤

Yield: approximately 30 cookies

1 1/2 cups whole hazelnuts
2 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup raspberry jam (I used Trader Joe’s)

Preheat the oven to 400° on convection. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
Spread the hazelnuts in a pie plate and toast until the skins split and the nuts are fragrant, about 10 minutes. (Alternatively, peel and roast the hazelnuts using the method described here.)
Transfer to a clean kitchen towel and  rub together to release the skins. Let  the hazelnuts cool completely.
In a food processor, pulse the hazelnuts until finely chopped.
In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer (or stand mixer), beat the egg whites with the salt at medium speed until foamy, 2 minutes. Gradually add the sugar and continue beating until soft peaks form when the beaters are lifted,  5 to 7 minutes.
Fold in the hazelnuts.
Using a 1-ounce ice cream scoop  or a soup spoon, scoop 1 1/2-inch rounds  of the batter onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart.
Bake the cookies for 10 minutes on convection, or up to 11 to 13 minutes in a standard oven, or until fragrant and lightly browned; rotate the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking.
Remove the cookies from the oven and, while they’re still hot, carefully make an indentation in the center of each with  the back of a teaspoon.
In a small saucepan, boil the raspberry jam for 30 seconds, until slightly thickened. Carefully spoon about 1 teaspoon of the hot jam into the center  of each cookie. Let the jam set and the cookies cool completely before serving.