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Recipes · Cakes & pastries

Hazelnut Macaroons

AI-written · not yet kitchen-tested

Hazelnut macaroons stay chewy inside and set on the outside if you let them dry before baking and bake them at a low temperature. The egg whites must be free of any trace of fat, so wipe the bowl and beaters with paper towel and a little lemon juice first. Overbaked, they turn hard like biscuits.

  • Serves 12
  • Prep 25 min
  • Cook 40 min
  • Rest 30 min
  • Total 95 min
  • medium
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This recipe was written with AI assistance and has not yet been kitchen-tested. Check quantities and times as you cook, and follow safe core temperatures for meat, poultry, fish and eggs.

Ingredients

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  • 3 egg whites from large eggs, room temperature, about 3.5 oz
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 150 g (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
  • 250 g (8.8 oz) ground hazelnuts
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 36 whole hazelnuts for topping

Method

  1. Beat the egg whites with the salt and lemon juice in a grease-free bowl with a hand mixer on high speed for about 2 minutes, until the whites form soft peaks.
  2. Add the sugar a tablespoon at a time and keep beating for 4 to 5 minutes, until the mixture is stiff and glossy and you can no longer feel sugar grains when you rub it between your fingers.
  3. Mix the hazelnuts and cinnamon and fold them in with a rubber spatula in two portions. The mixture is stiff and sticky. If it is too soft to hold together, let it stand for 10 minutes, because the nuts absorb moisture.
  4. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. With two moistened teaspoons or damp hands, place walnut-sized mounds (about 1/2 oz / 14 g each) 1 inch (3 cm) apart and press one whole hazelnut into each.
  5. Let the macaroons dry at room temperature for 30 minutes, until the surface looks matte. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 300 °F (150 °C) conventional, or 275 °F (130 °C) with convection.
  6. Bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack for 18 to 20 minutes, until the surface is light golden and shows fine cracks. They should still be soft inside; they firm up as they cool.
  7. Let the macaroons cool completely on the sheet and only then peel them off the paper. Store them in a tin.

Tip: Ground hazelnuts go rancid quickly and then taste bitter. Freshly ground nuts or a just-opened bag make the biggest difference in flavor.

Tip: The three leftover egg yolks work for a custard sauce or a cake batter; covered in the refrigerator they keep for a day.