Ingredients
ALMOND PASTE
20 oz almonds, blanched (can use whole or, pieces)
3 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
3 large egg whites, lightly beaten
COOKIES
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 package coconut, sweetened (large)
1 almond paste, broken into chunks
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 salt
6 large egg whites
Directions
PREPARE ALMOND PASTE: Process almonds in food processer until finely
chopped, almost almond butter. Add confectioners' sugar and process
till smooth. Add egg whites.
Mixture should become very stiff and form a ball in the machine. If
you cannot get it to become evenly moistened, take the mixture out
and knead it on a board "floured" with confectioners' sugar. Divide
the well-blended paste into three equal batches. (Can wrap well at
this point to refrigerate, up to a week.)
MAKE MACAROONS: Make this recipe in a food processor in three
batches. For each batch use 1/2 Cup each granulated and
confectioner's sugar, 1/3 of the coconut and almond paste, 1/8 t
salt, 1 t vanilla and
2 egg whites.
In processor bowl, combine granulated sugar and coconut. Process
about 2 minutes or until the coconut is finely ground. Add the
confectioners' sugar and the almond paste. Process until the mixture
resembles cornmeal. With the machine running, add the salt, vanilla
and egg whites. Process until the mixture is evenly moistened.
Drop mixture by teaspoonsful onto a cookie sheet covered with brown
paper. Bake at 325 degrees F. for 15-20 minutes, or until the
macaroons are lightly browned. Remove from oven and place brown paper
on a damp towel. When cookies are slightly cooled, use a spatula to
remove them; place them in an air-tight container so they will remain
chewy. Makes 3 to 4 dozen small cookies or 18 large ones.
Servings: 3 dozen
Coconut-Almond Macaroons Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Cookie; Fruit; Nut
The History of Recipes
Written recipes as a concept can be traced far back into history, in truth as far as the early Egyptians, and maybe even further. In practice though, in the main part, these old recipes were just primitive hieroglyphic instructions for preparing food.
In an interesting twist, the most ancient recipe discovered so far, according to academics is a series of clay tablets in ancient Sumerian which recount the preparation of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as having made people feel `blissful`. Much later, in Roman times a roman called Apicius wrote a number of documents which described recipes prepared by the Romans. In his publication, Apicius describes how the meals of wealthy Romans were separated into hors d`oeuvre, main meal and afters, a very modern way of dining. Aspicius informs us how the ancient Romans used many aromatic flavors, including a few that will be familiar to modern cooks such as thyme, mint and asafoetida. As our culinary historical trip moves to more modern times there are two interesting recipe books which appeared in the 14th Century : a recipe book called `Forme of Cury`, and another titled `Curye on Inglish`. Amusingly, these two books are unconnected to the spicy food that is familiar to us all today, but instead accounts of the types of meals on the menues of the rich and wealthy people of that period. In the 15th century, the Crusaders brought back many new foods and herbs from the East, such as basil and rosemary. These new spices and herbs created a torrent in cookery books, most of which are now in private libraries. The arrival of TV brought us celebrity chefs and the demand for the accompanying recipe books. And that neatly brings us to the present day and the invention of computers and the internet, allowing everyone to access thousands of recipes such as those found on our web site. |
We hope you enjoy this Coconut Almond Macaroons recipe.
