Baking,  Recipes

MACAROON TARTELETTES WITH APRICOT AND OUZO

Christmas cookies in early November? I think this year I have even beaten my mother in early cookie baking 😉 In the Christmas season I start this year with macaroon tartelettes with apricot and ouzo. The first Christmas movies are already #1 on Netflix, so I can’t be completely alone with my early anticipation! Schwartau has also launched a call and is looking for the best cookie recipe. This recipe was created as part of the contest. So this is not a paid cooperation. I just did not want to withhold the recipe from you!

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What do you need for macaroon tartelettes?

In addition to the usual suspects oven, refrigerator and baking sheet, there are a few helpers that are needed in this recipe and make your work easier.

Piping bag* – To decorate the cookies with the star edge you need a piping bag and nozzle. The linked piping bag can be used again and again. If you still have disposable piping bags at home, you should make sure that they are made of a solid material. Since the marzipan we want to pipe onto the cookies is rather firm, a piping bag that is too thin could burst. Been there, done that. 😉 Alternatively, you can also use a pastry syringe*!

Star nozzle* – You’ll need a small star nozzle like this one for the pretty border. But it doesn’t have to be exactly this one, first see what else you can find at home.

Food Processor* – A food processor will make your work much easier! So the marzipan paste is not only prepared in a flash but also fine enough to spray it well on the cookies.

Delicious variations of the cookies:

As is so often the case, you can also adapt these cookies to your own individual taste! I have already collected a few ideas for you! Who does not like Ouzo or anise can replace it with Amaretto! You can also add orange or lime zest or your favorite Christmas spice to the marzipan mass. You can also replace the marmalade with your favorite marmalade or lemon curd for a lemony twist. (You may want to heat the lemon curd beforehand and gel it with agartine so it doesn’t run off your cookie).

Or how about a chocolatey version of the macaroon tartelettes? For that, I would replace the ground almonds with ground hazelnuts, replace the ouzo with amaretto or omit it altogether, and instead of jam, fill the cookies with melted nut nougat or chocolate. Drop me a comment if you try any of the variations or have any other ideas!

Macaroon Tartlets with Apricot and Ouzo

Ingredients

For the dough

  • 250 g flour
  • 1 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  • 80 g powdered sugar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 140 g cold butter

For the marzipan topping

  • 250 g raw marzipan
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • Zest of a lemon
  • 2 cl ouzo (optional)
  • 40 g ground almonds

For the filling

  • about 150 g apricot jam

Instructions

For the dough

  • Mix the flour, spices, and powdered sugar. Make a well in the center and add the egg yolk.
  • Cut the cold butter into small cubes and distribute them around the edge of the flour.
  • Knead everything into a dough and shape it into a flat disk. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

For the marzipan mixture

  • Chop the marzipan and beat it together with the egg, egg yolk, lemon zest, and ouzo. Then stir in the ground almonds.
    Tip: The mixture turns out best if you mix the ingredients in a food processor, making it smooth and easier to pipe.
  • Fill the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a small star-shaped nozzle.
  • Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F) (top/bottom heat).
  • Roll out the dough on a floured surface to about 5mm thick.
  • Cut out round cookies (about 3 cm in diameter) and place them on a baking sheet.
  • Use the piping bag to pipe a closed ring of small stars around the edge of each cookie.
  • Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, then let them cool completely.

For the filling

  • Heat the apricot jam in a small pot until it becomes liquid.
  • Fill the macaroon rings with 1-2 tsp of jam each.
  • Let the cookies cool again so the jam can set.

Incidentally, I was given the best compliment for these cookies that you can probably get: They taste like a friend’s French grandma’s cookies!

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