Are there any macaroon fans in the house?
The colorful, French sandwich cookie type, just to clarify...'cause there are a million uses for the word macaroon in the baking-world, it seems.
I have gotten really hooked on these little pretties since coming to Portland, because there seem to be beautiful, disheveled piles of them seem at every bakery we go to (which is only maybe 2 regularly, but still). The rose flavored ones from Pix started out as an experiment ("What is eating a scent like?") and now I'm in love. I think that macaroons might be kind of divisive amongst cookie-people (a few weeks ago a little girl was eying mine, and asked her dad about it. He answered "They're really not very good...they're kind of an empty taste"). And he's kind of right. But I like the airy chewiness of them. And whenever I fall really in love with a baked good, it's only a matter of time til' I try to emulate it at home.
I thought Tuesday debate watching with Ashley + Drew deserved some treats, so I made them earlier that afternoon.
I used this recipe from Epicurious for the cookie part, and improvised the filling (confectioner's sugar, butter, a bit of cream, and raspberry extract). These cookies are simple enough to make, but VERY persnickety! You have to pipe them in little perfect circles, and that is the hardest part. Well, for me it was, but I might not be the best at piping. Mine are a little amoeba-ish, as you can see above. Still, they tasted really good, and had the right consistency for a macaroon, so I was really happy for a first-time attempt.
They were a hit with the A + D contingency, and with Josiah. I also made some goat cheese tartlettes, and Ashley had some really good crispy cookies and peppery chips on the table, so we were all drowning our respective dour, uninspired moods (courtesy of the uninspiring debate) in snacks. It's a good thing we had some quality stuff to nibble on, 'cause jeez.
That debate was kind of a dud.
