Chocolate "French" Almond Macaroons

These macaroons are delightful and sweet.

I knew I was making them right when I took them out of the oven. They plumped up just the right amount and had those little wrinkles in them to let the baker know, "Hey, take me out or I'll burn and taste nasty." Seriously.

When I made them I did also make a non Passover friendly version, because, well, it's not Passover quite yet.

Passover friendly version:

You'll need the following ingredients-

1, 7 ounce tube of almond paste

1 cup, plus 1.5 tbsp granulated sugar

2 large egg whites, room temperature

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 375

In a stand mixer (this is VERY handy. Should you decide to do this by hand, know that you will not need to work your arm muscles at the gym anytime soon), mix the almond paste and sugar until combined. I broke the pieces of almond paste up prior to mixing to help speed up the process. This will take about 5-7 minutes.

Next, mix in the cocoa powder until combined.

Here's the trickier part.

• SLOWLY add the egg whites...but what I mean by slowly is you want to add a drizzle of egg white at a time.
• To help you do this, place a spatula as a shield (or to "cut") between the egg white mixture (I used a pyrex that has a spout on it) and the almond paste mixture.
• Mix well after each addition.

Once the mixture looks more wet, take your spatula and scrape the bowl. Add enough egg white to make the mixture consistent enough to squeeze out of a pastry bag.

Cut the tip off the pastry bag. Fold end over to form a cuff, and fill bag with mixture.

On a cookie sheet, that is well sprayed with cooking spray (or, you could be professional like and use parchment paper, but this is not something I keep in my house), place same shaped dollops of mixture on the pan.

Next sprinkle the tops of the unbaked cookies to be with sugar.

Bake 8-9 minutes per batch.

When they are done, they will have crinkles on the top of them and will have spread a little (make sure you space these babies 1 inch a part on the baking sheet).

Take them out, and sandwich two likewise shaped macaroons together. Voila.

Now for the Non Passover friendly version (a filling of fun!)

Peanut Butter Buttercream:

1 stick of Land o Lake Light salted butter

1/2 cup of all natural creamy peanut butter

1 cup of powdered confectioner sugar

In a stand mixer and using the whisk attachment, cream the butter until fluffy. Next, add the peanut butter and cream the two ingredients together. Last, add the powdered sugar on low speed.

Place mix into a pastry bag, cut the tip off bag, cuff the sleeve, and put a touch of this mixture on each macaroon. Place two cookies together, you have Chocolate Peanut Butter Macaroons!

These make about 20 sandwich cookies.

The facts for the Passover friendly fare:

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 sandwich cookies

Amount per Serving

Calories 92

Calories from Fat 17.6

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 1.95g

3%

Saturated Fat 0.13g

0%

Cholesterol 0mg

0%

Sodium 5.5mg

0%

Total Carbohydrate 17.76g

5%

Dietary Fiber 0.8g

3%

Sugars 15.56g

Protein 1.4g

2%

For the Chocolate Peanut Butter Macaroons:

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 sandwich cookie

Amount per Serving

Calories 143

Calories from Fat 69.8

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 7.75g

11%

Saturated Fat 2.33g

11%

Cholesterol 8mg

2%

Sodium 67.5mg

2%

Total Carbohydrate 15.6g

5%

Dietary Fiber 0.8g

3%

Sugars 12g

Protein 2.8g

5%

Double Love Chocolate Chip Cookies!!!!

May have to push that glass of wine out of the way and pour a tall glass of milk for these delectable treats.

Growing up, on wintry days or nights, it would not be uncommon for baked goods to be in the oven...I mean, my mother baked, my sister baked, I baked...and my dad was happy. Last night, it was snowy. It was cold. It reminded me that on a night like that, I should bake cookies.

I love a big, tasty, chocolate cookie. You know, the types of cookies that are often found at stores and restaurants and have about 400 calories in them? Thing is...I don't like the 400 calorie thing. I mean, who would, really? But the cookie! I love the cookie!

The chocolate bites of amore are about 200 calories each, and worth the splurge.

The stuff that's in them:

1. 2 1/2 cup Toll House Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
2. 1 1/2 cup Sugar, Granulated
3. 1 cup I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Light (the type that is in the tub is great because it's soft)
4. 1 tsp Organic Vanilla Extract
5. 1 tsp Pure Almond Extract
6. 1/2 cup Egg Beaters
7. 1 cup 100% Organic Whole Wheat Flour
8. 1 cup All-purpose Flour
9. 1/3 cup Cocoa Powder, Natural Unsweetened
10. 1 tsp Baking Soda
11. 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt

How you make 'em:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Melt 1/2 c chocolate chips (about 30-45 seconds in the microwave). Stir; set aside

In your mixer, beat the sugar, butter, and extracts til creamy.

Beat in egg beaters until fluffy.

Mix in melted (but cooled) chocolate.

In a small bowl, combine together the flours, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt.

Mix the flour mixture with the fluffly sugar goodness. Add the remaining chocolate chips.

Place 2" balls on a "Pam'd" cookie sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes; cool on baking rack.

The facts, approximately:

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 cookie

Amount per Serving

Calories 190

Calories from Fat 73.4

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 8.16g

12%

Saturated Fat 3.87g

19%

Cholesterol 0mg

0%

Sodium 70.33mg

2%

Total Carbohydrate 28.07g

9%

Dietary Fiber 1.02g

4%

Sugars 20.43g

Protein 1.47g

2%