Coco-Almond Thumbprints
Servings
30cookies (about)
Servings
30cookies (about)
Ingredients
For the macaroons
For the chocolate filling
Instructions
  1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees F. Use an insulated baking sheet or stack two regular baking sheets, one on top of the other. Line the (top) sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
To make the macaroons:
  1. Put the almonds, coconut and sugar in a food processor and pulse until the nuts are ground. There should still be a few larger pieces of nuts scattered throughout the mix. Pour the whites into a small bowl and stir them with a fork just to break them up. Add a bit of the whites to the processor, pulse to incorporate them, and then keep doing this until you’ve got a dough that holds together when you squeeze it. You’ll probably use all the whites, but you might need a tad less. Keep in mind that it’s better to have a moist dough than a dry one. Remove the bowl from the machine and the blade from the bowl.
  2. Use a small scoop or a teaspoon. (You want rounded teaspoonfuls of dough) to drop the cookies about 1-1/2 inches apart (these puff but don’t spread much) onto the baking sheets. Shape each mound of dough into a ball between your palms, pressing so that the ball is compact, then make a small indentation in each cookie, using the knuckle of your index finger, your thumb or the end of a wooden spoon—steady the cookie with one hand while you’re pressing into it with the other so that it doesn’t crack too much. (It will always crack—it’s unavoidable—but if you stabilize the cookie, the cracks won’t split the cookie in two.)
  3. Bake the cookies for 14 to 16 minutes, rotating the pan at the midway mark, or until they are firm and golden brown on their bottoms; they won’t color much elsewhere. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack.
To make the filling:
  1. Put the chocolate and cream in a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup and heat them on half power in the microwave until the chocolate melts; stir to smooth the ganache. Alternatively, you can heat the chocolate and cream together in a small bowl set over a pan of simmering water.
To finish the cookies:
  1. Using a small spoon, fill each macaroon with enough chocolate to come level with the top of the cookie. Allow the chocolate to set at room temperature. (The chocolate will never be hard—a good thing.) If you’re in a hurry, you can pop the macaroons into the refrigerator for 10 to 20 minutes to set the ganache.
Recipe Notes

Kept at room temperature in a covered container, the macaroons will stay delicious for up to 3 days. After that, depending on your climate, they’ll either become soft (nice) or hard (okay), in either case, they’ll still be good.