Name: Almond Macaroons
Total time: 1 h
Ingredients: 3 cups (12 ounces/340 grams) slivered almonds; 1 1/2 cups (10½ ounces/298 grams) granulated sugar; 3 large egg whites; 1 teaspoon almond extract

Why This Recipe Works

Almond macaroons, commonly found in European-style bakeries, are flourless—and so, gluten-free—treats that rely on egg whites for both structure and leavening. They're sweet but not too sweet, and they taste strongly of their namesake ingredient. We wanted to develop a great macaroon recipe so we could make these cookies at home, and we were happy to discover that this task was surprisingly simple. To start, we finely ground slivered almonds and sugar in a food processor. Then we added the egg whites and a little almond extract to the workbowl and processed the ingredients until the mixture formed a stiff but cohesive dough. To form macaroons into their traditional round shape, some recipes call for a pastry bag, but we simply rolled the dough into balls. We baked the macaroons at a relatively low temperature (325 degrees) for a sufficient amount of time (20 to 25 minutes) for cookies that were crunchy-chewy on the outside but still moist and soft on the inside.

Before You Begin

Be sure to line your baking sheets with parchment paper; the cookies will stick to unlined baking sheets and spread on greased ones.

Instructions

Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Process almonds in food processor until finely ground, about 1 minute. Add sugar and process for 15 seconds longer. Add egg whites and almond extract and process just until paste forms. Scrape down bowl and continue to process until stiff but cohesive, malleable paste (similar in consistency to marzipan or pasta dough) forms, about 5 seconds longer. If mixture is crumbly or dry, add water by drops and process until proper consistency is reached.

Working with 2 tablespoons dough at a time, roll into balls and space them 1½ inches apart on prepared sheets. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Transfer macaroons, still on parchment, to wire racks. Let cookies cool completely before serving.