Christmas Cookies - part 1 (gluten free macaroons)

These cookies are traditional German Christmas cookies prepared in variations everywhere. They are called macaroons, but have hardly any similarity to the French macarons. The basic recipe is egg whites, powdered sugar, and some nut-like ingredient. The exact nut used is up to you, and your preference. Traditionally, hazelnut and almond meal or flour are used, but I've made these cookies with walnuts in the past. The are also very good when prepared with shredded coconut, and when cashew meal is used they get a sweet nutty flavor. I've not yet made them with pecan nut meal, but if am sure it'll work as well.

Ingredients:

Baking sheet

Parchment paper

Four egg whites (or 120 g liquid egg white)

250 g powdered sugar

1 pinch of salt or a little lemon juice

300 g hazelnut, almond, cashew or walnut meal or shredded coconut

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 140 degrees Celsius (300 F). Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Using an electric hand mixer whisk egg whites until very stiff. While whisking slowly mix in salt, and powdered sugar adding a tablespoon of sugar at a time and keep whisking until egg whites are stiff.

3. Carefully fold in nut meal (hazelnut, almond, cashew or walnut) or shredded coconut.

4. Using two teaspoons put little portions of the batter on parchment paper. For hazelnut, almond, cashew or walnut macaroons press a hazelnut, an almond, cashew or a walnut half into the center of the cookie prior to baking. Bake at 140 degrees Celsius (300 F) for about 20 minutes or until macaroons are slightly golden.

5. Remove baking sheet from oven, let macaroons cool down for a few minutes, then remove from parchment paper and put in a cookie box.

Comments:

1. Powdered sugar in the United States contains starch, which really helps to get the egg whites stiff in only a short period of time. When the powdered sugar is starch-free it'll take quite some time to get the mixture stiff. Be patient!

2. If the macaroons stick to the parchment paper slide a flat knife under each macaroon to detach them.

3. The actual baking time may vary by the nut meal used.

4. When separating the eggs be careful not to transfer any yolk into the egg whites. If residual fat (from within the bowl) or egg yolk comes into contact with the egg whites the egg whites will not become stiff, and might not be white, but have a yellowish tint.

5. The salt and lemon juice are optional, but help to get egg whites stiff.

Macaroons in picture:

Top left: Coconut

Top right: Cashew

Bottom left: Walnut

Bottom right: Almond