Hazelnut Macaroons

 Macaroons are the ultimate one bite treat! 

I've been such a glutton lately - Lucy and I frequently head to Miette Patisserie located in the Ferry Building to pick up a chocolate ladybug {for Lucy} and an assortment of macaroons for me. It's a fun way to end our outings but also puts a dent in the wallet at the end of the month - so it is time for me to make my own. I'll be testing out a few new flavors throughout the next few months so stay tuned!

{Hazelnut Macaroons w/ a ganache filling}

Macaroons are relatively easy to make and easy to mess up too! I've attempted to make macaroons a few other times and couldn't figure out why they 1) weren't baked through properly 2) didn't cleanly come off of the parchment paper. It ultimately came down to metal baking sheet vs non stick baking sheet. The answer is: Non-stick baking sheet! They baked perfectly in 9 minutes and came off the parchment paper without any fuss. 

Hazelnut Macaroons:1 1/4 cups of powdered sugar
1 cup of finely grounded hazelnuts
2 TBSP of cocoa powder
3 egg whites (at room temperature)
1/4 cup of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Ganache Filling:1/3 cup of bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup of heavy cream
2 tablespoons of butter

Directions:
1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Grind hazelnuts up.
3. In a medium bowl combine ground hazelnuts, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar; set aside.
4. Using a mixer - combine egg whites, vanilla, and salt - beat on medium until frothy.
5. Slowly (a spoonful at a time) add 1/4 cup of sugar until soft peaks are formed. {tips will curl}
6. Stir in hazelnut mixture.
7. Attach a 1/2 round tip into a large decorating bag or large zip lock bag. Spoon mixture into bag and pipe 1 - 1 1/2 inch circles 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet.
8. Let sit for 30 minutes before baking. {this would be a great time to start on the filling}
9. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and bake for 9 minutes.
10. Let cookies cool for a few minutes before removing them off parchment paper and set on wired cooling racks.
11. Spread ganache filling onto bottoms of half of the cookies and top with the remaining, bottom sides down.

Ganache Filling:
1. In a small sauce pan, bring cream to a boil.
2. Add bittersweet chocolate, stir until smooth.
3. Add butter and stir until smooth and glossy.
4. Place in fridge for 30 minutes to set.
5. Spread on cooled macaroons.