Bake up a batch of macaroons for Passover festival

Macaroons are a traditional Passover dessert because they have no leavening, which is restricted by Jewish law during the eight-day festival beginning at sundown Saturday. Instead, these cookies use egg whites for both their structure and lightness.

And that’s the catch. For many, working with the temperamental whites can be a deflating experience.

At Grand Central Bakery in Seattle’s Pioneer Square, where coconut and almond macaroons are sold during the Passover season, Laura Heinlein, pastry production manager, has separated more than her share of eggs. So she has some practical tips for handling egg whites.

To achieve the most volume when beating the whites, they should be at room temperature and separated cleanly from the yolks. That can be difficult for both experienced and novice bakers alike, but Heinlein has developed a method that works beautifully. “First I break the eggs into a bowl,” she said. “Then I spread my fingers slightly and cradle each yolk to remove it.”

Different mixing techniques are used for the two kinds of macaroons. The almond, or Parisian, macaroons are made in the French tradition of beating the whites until foamy and then slowly adding the sugar until soft peaks are formed.

All of the ingredients for the coconut macaroons are blended in the top of a double boiler and heated to both dissolve the sugar and to help make the thick mixture easier to work with. The whites aren’t beaten at all, making this cookie a perfect entry point for beginners.

Both the almond and coconut mixtures are piped onto parchment-lined baking sheets. A piping bag with a plain tip is set in a cup or glass. Before filling the bag, Heinlein suggests folding the tip up to keep the mixture from seeping out. Then it’s piped onto the sheets. Peaks may form when the pastry bag is pulled away, but a slightly dampened finger can smooth out the tops.

The macaroons are left to sit on the baking sheets for about 30 minutes before being put into the oven. “A skin forms on top, which gives that crustiness to the macaroons,” said Heinlein.

Once the cookies are baking, Heinlein looks for a toasty, light golden brown color on top. “Going by color is a pretty good indicator when the macaroons are done,” she suggests. The macaroons will only keep about 3 to 4 days, which shouldn’t be a problem once these sweet treats are tasted.

Editor’s note: The ingredients in these recipes may not be suitable for all Jewish sects.

Grand Central’s Coconut Macaroons

From Grand Central Bakery in Seattle

6 cups shredded unsweetened coconut

Parchment paper

2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons corn syrup

1 cup egg whites (about 8 large eggs)

4 to 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour (see notes)

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Spread coconut out on a baking sheet and let dry 1 hour. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Place sugar, salt, corn syrup and egg whites in the top of a double boiler. Heat over simmering water on medium-high heat until quite warm. Stir occasionally to avoid scorching.

Combine coconut and 4 tablespoons flour, blending well. Add to heated mixture and stir until combined. Stir occasionally while heating mixture until hot to the touch, about 150 degrees. Add another tablespoon of flour if needed. Stir in vanilla and remove from heat.

Transfer small batches at a time to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe mounds about 2 inches in diameter, 2 inches apart. (Or simply drop the mixture by rounded teaspoons onto the lined baking sheets. Stir the mixture occasionally.) Set aside 30 minutes so tops begin to dry out slightly.

Bake about 10 to 15 minutes or until tops of macaroons are golden brown. Rotate halfway through baking. Slide parchment onto cooling racks and cool completely before peeling the cookies off the paper. The macaroons will keep 3 to 4 days.

Notes: These macaroons use a small amount of wheat flour, which should be omitted during Passover. Matza flour can be substituted. Begin with 3 tablespoons and add another tablespoon if needed to hold the mixture together.

Grand Central Bakery dips the bottoms of the macaroons in melted dark chocolate that’s cooled but still liquid. Chocolate chips or chopped semisweet chocolate can be melted over hot water or in a microwave.

Yield: 3 to 4 dozen macaroons

Approximate nutrition per macaroon (without melted chocolate): 76 calories, 3.4 grams fat (3 grams saturated, 38 percent fat calories), 1 gram protein, 11 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 1 gram dietary fiber, 48 milligrams sodium.

Chocolate French Macaroons

From Bon Appetit

Chocolate filling:

1/2 cup whole milk

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

Macaroons:

Parchment paper

1 pound powdered sugar

2 cups whole blanched almonds

6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 cup egg whites (about 6 large eggs), room temperature

1/8 teaspoon salt

To make chocolate filling bring milk and butter to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat and add chocolate, whisking until melted and smooth. Transfer to a bowl and cool. Cover and refrigerate several hours until thick and cold.

To make macaroons, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Combine half of powdered sugar with all of the almonds in a food processor, pulsing until nuts are ground to a powder. Add remaining powdered sugar and pulse to blend. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add cocoa and process until blended.

Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt until stiff but not dry. Fold nut mixture into the whites in 4 additions. The batter will be stiff. Using a teaspoon measure, drop 12 mounds at a time onto baking sheets. (The mixture will spread.)

Bake macaroons, one sheet at a time, until firm to the touch in the center and dry on top, about 11 minutes. Slide parchment onto a cooling rack and let cool completely before peeling macaroons off parchment. (If using the same baking sheets, make sure that they are cool before dropping the batter on them.)

Arrange half of macaroons flat side up on a work surface. Spread a tablespoon of the filling onto each and top with a second macaroon, flat side down. Cover and chill at least 2 hours before serving.

Yield: Makes 24 sandwich cookies

Approximate nutrition per serving: 229 calories, 12 grams fat (3.6 grams saturated fat, 45 percent fat calories), 4.4 grams protein, 27.6 grams carbohydrate, 8 grams cholesterol, 2.6 grams dietary fiber, 28 milligrams sodium.

Hazelnut Macaroons

From “The Gefilte Variations” by Jayne Cohen

2 1/3 cups shelled hazelnuts (about 12 ounces)

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract or 1 teaspoon Frangelico or amaretto liqueur

3 large egg whites, room temperature

Parchment paper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread hazelnuts in a single layer in a baking pan and toast about 12 minutes or until most of the skins begin to crack. Cool slightly, then wrap in small batches in a clean dish towel and rub to loosen and remove most of the skins.

When nuts are completely cool, chop finely with the sugar in a food processor using the pulse button. With machine on, add extract and egg whites a little at a time. Process just enough to combine ingredients. Scrape into a bowl and refrigerate 15 to 20 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Drop rounded tablespoons of batter on baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly with the back of a spoon. Bake 15 minutes or until the macaroons have puffed and dried to the touch. Slip the parchment paper onto cooling racks and let macaroons cool completely before removing.

Yield: About 25 macaroons

Approximate nutrition per serving: 113 calories, 8 grams fat (less than 1 gram saturated, 60 percent fat calories) 2 grams protein, 10 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, less than 1 gram dietary fiber, 7 milligrams sodium.