Italian macarons with coffee cream recipe – Amaretti con crema al caffè
All the flavor of almonds is enclosed in these soft cookies, with a unique texture and flavor. Very easy to make, this recipe has the particularity of being enriched with a delicate butter cream and coffee, perfect to intensify the flavor of almonds and create a pleasant contrast between cookie and filling. For an even crunchier touch, you can add lightly toasted slivered almonds.
DIFFICULTY: medium
PREPARATION TIME: 20 minutes
COOKING TIME: 25 minutes
RESTING TIME: 1 hour 30 minutes
SERVINGS: 10-12 people
FOR THE MACAROONS
– 300 g almond flour
– 120 g caster sugar
– 40 g icing sugar + extra for coverage
– 2 egg whites
FOR THE COFFEE CREAM
– 60 g soft butter
– 90 g icing sugar
– 5 tablespoons cold coffee
TO DECORATE
– Grated almonds
DIRECTIONS:
To begin, blend the caster sugar and powdered sugar well with the almond flour. Add the egg whites, one at a time, always mixing well. Work the mixture until it is smooth and very soft. Wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (or in the freezer for about 30 minutes).
Take some balls of dough weighing about 20 grams each, work them quickly with your hands and pass them in icing sugar until they are completely covered. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving a few inches between each macaroon. Flatten each macaroon slightly with your hand and make a slight hollow in the center. You can use your fingers or the handle of a wooden spoon for this operation.
Bake in a hot oven at 160° for about 25 minutes. The macaroons should be golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. Meanwhile, prepare the coffee cream. Soften the butter at room temperature and cream it until you obtain a cream to which you will add the sifted icing sugar. Mix everything well. Finally add the coffee now cold and mix with a spatula to obtain a smooth and homogeneous cream. If it is too soft you can add more powdered sugar, otherwise, if it is too compact, add more coffee, until you reach the right consistency. Place in refrigerator to rest for at least 30 minutes. Fill a pastry bag with the cream and fill the macaroons now cold. You can decorate with sliced almonds left toasted for a few minutes in the oven.