The “Party Perfect” Cookie Tray – Chocolate Almond Macaroons

No doubt about it.  Of all the treats I love to bake, cookies are my #1 favorite!  So, when I volunteer to bring along a tray of cookies, I think about whether I’ll bake the tried-and-true standards (chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, giant ginger cookies, white chip macadamia, etc.), or the pretty little butter cookies that lure you into the bakery.

In this new series, The “Party Perfect” Cookie Tray, I’ll be focusing on those delectable little fussy cookies!  First up:

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Chocolate Almond Macaroons

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs. almond paste broken into small pieces
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup confectioner's sugar
• 1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa
• 4 egg whites
• 2 cups sliced almonds

Instructions

1. With electric mixer, combine almond paste, sugar, confectioner's sugar, cocoa and egg whites.  Mix on low speed until blended, then mix for 2 minutes on medium speed.  Dough will be sticky.
2. Roll dough into 1" balls. (Moistening your palms with water helps to keep the dough from sticking to your hands.  Or...just use a small cookie scoop).  Roll the cookies in a bowl of sliced almonds and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.  Slightly flatten the tops of the cookies.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes.  Leaving the cookies on the parchment paper, cool completely on rack.  Remove with spatula.

Recipe Notes

Yield: about 60 cookies

This recipe is easily halved, and the baked cookies freeze well.

Here’s what they look like, prior to baking:

And, as they’re cooling:

Thanks to the almond paste, the flavor is intense, and the centers are slightly chewy and deliciously moist!

My cookie tray will be presented on October 16 at the “Welcome Home” party for William, a young soldier returning home from Afghanistan…a soldier who I have loved and adored since his second-grade days, when he and my son played “Navy Seal” in our backyard.  A true celebration, indeed!

“A”

Lots of “Party Perfect” cookies to come….stay tuned :o)