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(366)
Comments
Read comments

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.

Featured in: Macaroons for Passover With a Difference

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

Advertisement

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.

Powered by

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.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

4 out of 5
366 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

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.

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.

Anita S.

These were wonderful. Made both jam and pistachio versions. Preferred the pistachio--the cookies stayed better and the salt of the nut against the sweet of the cookie was perfect. Only let sit about 3 hours before shaping and baking.

Eggie

Delicious and looked just like the photos! I didn't have rosewater so used only water, and I omitted the cardamom as I didn't have any on hand. These were a huge hit and will definitely get made again. And I finally had a use for my little espresso spoons - I used them to get the jam into the thumbprint!

Cheryl

I use the stick end of a wooden spoon to make the indentation.

Joanie

Just finished baking these cookies and am very unimpressed, not typical for NYT recipes. They are easy to make but they taste like the raw ingredients. Disappointing

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.