This is a new cookie recipe that i just tried out and I feel it is suitable for this coming CNY. When i saw this recipe in a cookbook, the special name and beautiful and unique crack effect were attracted me..It is a popular cookies at Nancy, France. Accordingly to here,The macaron de Nancy was first created at the Monastery Les Dames du Saint-Sacrement in Nancy, a Benedictine order founded by Catherine de Vaudément, Abbess de Remiremont and daughter of Charles III, Duke de Lorraine. Charles III could not eat meat, but loved sweets and chocolate. Nuns cooking in the monastery are believed to have created this simple wafer which became known as the macaron de Nancy.
This macaron de nancy recipe is easy to make if compare with macaron which don't need to achieve the "skirt". Anyway, this macarons also need to achieve the special "crack" effect.
If you asked me are they tasted sweet? Yes, they tasted sweet, but not as sweet as macaron. The sweetness is something like you eating sweet candy or ice-cream, still acceptable for me..
I noticed those darker colour has very crunchy texture, but for some cookies middle part still yellow, the texture is crunchy and chewy..So it is depend how you prefer the texture, bake longer if you prefer whole thing crunchy..Anyway, this cookie is full of almond aroma, taste like macarons actually but cookies texture !!..My daughter who love macarons gave this cookie thumbs up !!
This macaron is easy to make, but two important points that need to take note. You need to have a thermometer to measure the syrup temperature at 107C and wet towel to press on the surface of batter to create crack effect after baked. And also leave some gap in between batter, as they will expand ( i didn't make nice piping, you can see some stick together)..
Macaron de Nancy 南锡杏仁蛋白饼*makes about 40pcsTo make almond paste150g ground almonds
90g sifted icing sugar
1 egg white (large)
pinch of saltMethod
- Combine ground almonds, sifted icing sugar and salt and slowly add in the egg whites till it becomes a dough. You can use a dough scraper to combine. You can make them one day ahead , keep them in the fridge (wrap with cling film and put inside a container).
To make Macaron de Nancy200g homemade almond paste60g sifted icing sugar
40g egg white
10g cake flour20g water60g caster sugarMethodHomemade almond paste adapted from Lena Frozen Wings, recipe adapted from a cookbook named Popular Cakes
- Mix almond paste, sifted icing sugar and egg white with a spatula or a dough scraper till mix well. Add in cake flour, combine well.
- Heat sugar and water in saucepan till sugar melted and reach temperature 107C. Immediately pour into almond mixture, mix till combine.
- Place batter into a piping bag with a plain nozzle or just a small cut. Pipe dollops of batter about 2cm onto a lined baking tray ( after baked, it will expand to 3-4cm, thus leave 2cm gap in between).
- Wet a kitchen towel and squeeze out as much as water possible, then gently press on top of batter, this way it will create the special crack effect.
- Bake at pre-heated oven at 160C for about 30mins or until light brown.
- Cool it down on a wire rack. Store in an air-tight container.
