According to the Las Vegas paper, the latest big thing is the French macaron.

Yes, they are spelling it with one 'o' and they are almond flavored with no coconut in sight.



Bakeries are charging at least a dollar apiece for them, and one in Las Vegas charges $17.50 for a dozen. They are rich but less cloyingly sweet than the buttercream frosting on a cupcake, and the article says a person could eat four or five of them if they tried. I've never understand what all the fuss was about cupcakes, but it's hard to imagine these things replacing them.


PARISIAN MACARONS

1¼ cups plus 1 teaspoon confectioners' sugar
1 cup (4 ounces) finely ground sliced, blanched almonds
6 tablespoons fresh egg whites (from about 3 extra-large eggs)
Pinch of salt
¼ cup granulated sugar

For filling:
3 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar and ground almonds. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip egg whites with salt on medium speed until foamy. Increase speed to high and gradually add granulated sugar. Continue to whip until stiff glossy peaks form. With a rubber spatula, gently fold in the confectioners' sugar mixture until completely incorporated.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Fit a pastry bag with a 3/8-inch No. 4 round tip and fill with batter. Pipe 1-inch disks onto prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between cookies (the batter will spread a little). Let stand at room temperature until dry, a soft skin forms on the tops of the macarons and the shiny surface turns dull, about 15 minutes.

Bake, with the door of the oven slightly ajar, until the surface of the macarons is completely dry, about 15 minutes. Remove baking sheet to a wire rack and let the macarons cool completely on the baking sheet. Gently peel off the parchment. (The tops are easily crushed, so take care when removing the macarons from the parchment.) Use immediately or store in an airtight container, refrigerated for as long as 2 days or frozen for as long as 1 month.

To make the filling, whisk egg whites and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Set mixer bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and heat mixture, whisking often, until it feels warm to the touch and sugar is dissolved, 3 to 5 minutes.

Transfer bowl to the mixer and fit with the whisk attachment. Whip on high speed until mixture is stiff and shiny, 3 to 5 minutes. Add butter, one piece at a time, and continue mixing until butter is thoroughly incorporated. (The filling can be kept, covered and refrigerated, as long as 1 week. Bring to room temperature before stirring.)

To fill the macarons, fill a pastry bag with the filling. Turn macarons so their flat bottoms face up. On half of them, pipe about 1 teaspoon filling. Sandwich these with the remaining macarons, flat-side down, pressing slightly to spread the filling to the edges. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

Makes about 16 (and 3 cups filling).

-- Recipe from Martha Stewart Omnimedia

Here's a fancier one:

ESPRESSO-BLACKBERRY MACARONS

For macarons:

3 ounces almond flour (2/3 cup) or blanched sliced almonds (¾ cup) or slivered almonds (2/3 cup)
1½ cups confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 large egg whites, at room temperature 30 minutes
¼ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons granulated sugar

For filling:
About ½ cup blackberry jelly

Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Grind almond flour or almonds with confectioners' sugar in food processor until powdery, 30 seconds for almond flour, about 2 minutes for almonds. (If using grinder, grind in small batches.) Sift through a medium-mesh sieve into a bowl (if not fine enough for almost all of nuts to go through sieve, regrind). Sift again into a large bowl.

Stir together espresso powder and vanilla in a cup until powder has dissolved.

Beat egg whites with salt in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until they just hold soft peaks. Beat in granulated sugar, a little at a time. Increase speed to high and beat until meringue holds stiff, glossy peaks, about 1 minute. Add espresso mixture and mix at low speed until incorporated. Fold meringue into almond mixture with a rubber spatula until completely incorporated. (Meringue will deflate and batter will be loose.)

To pipe and bake macarons, put small dabs of batter under corners of parchment to secure to baking sheets.

Spoon half of batter into pastry bag. Holding bag vertically just above baking sheet, pipe 1½-inch-wide mounds of batter about 1 inch apart, stopping pressure and flicking tip sideways to avoid peaks (tamp down any peaks with a wet finger). Refill pastry bag and repeat. Let macarons stand, uncovered, at room temperature until a light crust forms, 20 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 300 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds.

Bake macarons, switching position of sheets halfway through, until crisp and interior does not give easily when gently pressed, 22 to 28 minutes total. Cool completely on baking sheets (to harden bottoms) on racks, about 30 minutes. Loosen macarons from parchment with offset spatula (they will be fragile).

To assemble cookies, sandwich the flat sides of the macarons together with a thin layer of jelly.

Layer macarons between sheets of parchment in an airtight container and let stand at room temperature at least 2 hours to soften before eating.

Makes 2½ dozen.

Variations: For Chocolate-Earl Grey Macarons, add 3 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder (preferably Valrhona) to almond flour or almonds when grinding. Omit instant-espresso powder and vanilla. Grind 1 teaspoon Earl Grey tea (from 1 tea bag) to a fine powder in an electric coffee/spice grinder. Sprinkle about ¼ teaspoon (reserve remainder) on macarons before baking. Fill with Chocolate Earl Grey Ganache: Bring ½ cup cream and remaining ¾ teaspoon tea powder to a simmer in a small heavy saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in 3 ounces finely chopped bittersweet chocolate (60 percent to 64 percent cacao if marked) and 1 tablespoon unsalted butter until smooth. Chill, whisking occasionally, until thickened, 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a sealable bag. Snip off a corner and pipe to fill macarons. (There will be ganache left over.)

For grapefruit macarons, add 2 teaspoons grated grapefruit zest to almond flour or almonds when grinding. Omit instant-espresso powder and vanilla. Beat 6 drops red food coloring into meringue and fill cookies with grapefruit marmalade.

For pistachio-cardamom macarons substitute 1/3 cup unsalted shelled pistachios plus ½ teaspoon ground cardamom for half of the almond flour or almonds when grinding. Omit instant-espresso powder and vanilla. Beat 4 drops green and 3 drops yellow food coloring into meringue. Fill with apricot jam.

-- Recipe from Gourmet magazine