These chewy almond macaroons have an intense almond flavor, a crunchy crust with a chewy, tender inside. Coconut is nowhere to be found in this delicious little cookie.
They are the perfect small dessert after a heavy meal or sweet treat with a cup of coffee.
I first experienced these delicious little cookies at a business luncheon at the Duquesne Club in Pittsburgh. They were the best part of the meal. Needless to say, I became obsessed and had to learn to make them myself. Bonus: they are much easier than you would think.
WHAT DO I NEED TO MAKE CHEWY ALMOND MACAROONS?
One of the reasons that I love these cookies is the recipe only has five ingredients. Plus you can mix it all in one bowl with your hands. How easy is that?
- First, you need almond paste. It is sold in small boxes that you can find in the sugar/flour/baking aisle of your supermarket.
- Superfine sugar. If you can’t find superfine sugar or just don’t want to buy another product, add regular sugar to a blender or food processor and process it a bit.
- Salt
- Amaretto liqueur. Get a brand that you enjoy. Using a liqueur instead of almond flavoring gives the cookie a much more intense flavor. And don’t worry about the kids, the alcohol will evaporate while baking.
- Powdered sugar to roll the dough in before baking
IS MARZIPAN THE SAME AS ALMOND PASTE?
No. Almond paste and Marzipan are very different products and cannot be used interchangeably.
Almond paste has equal proportions of almonds and sugar. It is coarse in texture and a bit bitter in taste. These chewy almond macaroons use almond paste in the recipe.
Marzipan has a higher sugar content, a smoother texture, and can be rolled out like fondant or molded into shapes.
If you love making cookies (like me), here are a few more of my favorites. I hope your family enjoys them as much as mine do.
- Salted Peanut Butter Cookies
- Poppy Seed Hamantaschen
- Russian Tea Cakes
- Easy Peanut Butter Cookies
- Ultimate Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies
CHEWY ALMOND MACAROONS
These cookies have an intense almond flavor, a crunchy crust with a chewy, tender inside. Coconut is nowhere to be found in this delicious little cookie.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 42 minutes
- Yield: Makes 20 cookies 1x
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Dutch
Ingredients
18 ounces almond paste (not marzipan)
½ cup superfine sugar
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons amaretto liqueur
1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat mats.
In a large mixing bowl, crumble the almond paste. Add the sugar and salt.
Using your hands, mix all the ingredients together until well mixed.
Pour in the amaretto and gently work the liquid into the almond mixture until a paste forms.
In a shallow, flat bowl, sift the powdered sugar into the bowl. Set aside.
Use a 1-ounce cookie scoop to scoop out the dough into the powdered sugar.
Roll each ball in the powdered sugar and place on the prepared baking sheet. Be sure to leave at least 1-inch space between the balls.
Repeat with the rest of the dough.
Allow the dough balls to sit on your counter for 20 minutes to dry out.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden brown.
Remove from the oven and cool completely.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
Keywords: chewy almond macaroons, cookie recipes, almond recipes, dessert recipes, baking recipes