Almond-Walnut Thumbprint Macaroons

By Joan Nathan

Almond-Walnut Thumbprint Macaroons
Lexey Swall for The New York Times
Total Time
50 minutes, plus at least 8 hours resting time
Rating
4(382)
Comments
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These cookies are less sweet and chewier than many traditional nut macaroons. The recipe is from Eileen Dangoor Khalastchy, an 86-year-old cook and baker who remembers her mother making something similar when the family lived in Iraq. Ms. Khalastchy moved from Baghdad to London in the 1970s, but she remembers her mother making cookies like these and then sending them to be baked in the public oven because there was no oven at home then. Ms. Khalastchy has tinkered with the recipe, substituting walnuts for some of the almonds and adding an egg yolk to the traditional whites.

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Ingredients

Yield:About 3 dozen cookies
  • 1¾cups/250 grams blanched almonds
  • 1½cups/125 grams walnuts
  • 1scant cup/200 grams sugar
  • 1teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1large egg
  • 2egg whites
  • 1cup of rose water, optional
  • ½cup good quality raspberry jam, or ½ cup shelled pistachios
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (36 servings)

98 calories; 7 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 6 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Put the almonds in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until mostly powdered with a few crunchy bits remaining, about 15 pulses. Transfer to a large bowl. Put the walnuts in the food processor and pulse until mostly powdered. Add the walnuts to the almonds.

  2. Step 2

    Add the sugar, cardamom, egg and egg whites to the bowl and, using one hand, mix to combine. Cover with a towel and let the mixture sit for at least 8 hours or overnight to dry out a bit.

  3. Step 3

    Heat the oven to 325 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Pour rose water or 1 cup of water in a small shallow bowl. Dampen your hands with the rose water and scoop up about a tablespoon of the dough at a time, pressing it into walnut-size balls. Place the macaroons on the baking sheets about 2 inches apart and flatten them slightly. Use your thumb to make a small indentation in the middle of each.

  4. Step 4

    Transfer the baking sheets to the oven and cook for 15 minutes, then remove and put either ¼ teaspoon of the raspberry jam or a pistachio in each thumbprint. Rotate the pans and continue baking for 10 more minutes or until golden and firm. Cool to room temperature on the baking sheets and serve or freeze.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
382 user ratings
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Comments

JillMB

Terrific flavor and easy! Made these in 3 versions: raspberry jam, walnut piece, date piece. Since my original thumbprint puffed up, I made a new indentation when cookies were soft after the 15 minute first baking time and added the garnish. I let the dough sit overnight, covered with towel, in the refrigerator (not specified in recipe) and it firmed up, less sticky to handle. I used a melon ball scoop to shape. I will surely make again with pistachio and even other jam flavors.

Carlos

This Macaroon has all the ingredients that Iove and the Cardamon add a wonderful taste . Everybody love them!
I did two version one with the Pistachios nut and another one with Fig Jam. I love figs!

Lyn

Great cookies! I found the rosewater to be overpowering on the finished cookie though, so next time I might dampen my hands with plain water that has a few drops of rosewater in it rather than straight rosewater.

Splendidbitch

I concur with the previous comments - I used almond flour and ground walnuts, refrigerate the batter prior to forming into balls (2 hours was plenty), I reduced the sugar to 3/4 cup, I increased the cardamom bc I like it and the oven temperature was better for me at 340 degrees. Very adaptable recipe - I was added orange zest to one batch, almond flavoring to another, cinnamon & allspice, etc

Gabriella

I like these a lot! I made them with 3/4 of the sugar and 1.5 times the cardamom, and next time I’ll go one step further and use half the sugar and twice the cardamom. Also, I didn’t have rose water, but I did have rose jam & used that in half the macaroons. The rose jam with cardamom is heavenly.

rds

These were a big hit- delicious.

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