Love and Olive Oil

Almond Cookie Dough Macarons

Almond Cookie Dough Macarons

Do you know what today is?

It’s National Cookie Dough Day, duh.

The holiday I officially declared last year, on the release date of my first book.

This was a recipe that got cut from the book shortly before it went to print. It was a last minute decision, based on the fact that I was not confident enough in my macaron skills to get my own recipe to work. We filled the pages with more images and resources instead.

‘Twas a shame too, because it was probably my absolute favorite recipe in there. I really, really love macarons. And when they’re filled with almond cookie dough? Well… I’m a goner.

Almond Cookie Dough Macarons

The shells are basic macarons. Unflavored, uncolored, uncomplicated. I used the same base recipe I had success with during the macaron challenge, a basic French style from I Love Macarons, again, drying out the almond flour and whipping the meringue until it just barely forms stiff peaks.

The filling is where it gets fabulous: a creamy (and egg-free!) raw cookie dough, almond scented and speckled with grated dark chocolate.

Is your mouth watering yet?

Happy cookie dough day, everyone! How are you celebrating?

Almond Cookie Dough Macarons

Did you make this recipe?

Ingredients:

For  Macarons:

  • 85 grams almond flour or finely ground almonds
  • 150 grams powdered sugar
  • 90 grams egg whites (from about 3 large eggs), room temperature
  • 55 grams superfine or granulated sugar

For Cookie Dough Filling:

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 3/8 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 to 2 tablespoon heavy cream (or as needed)
  • 1.5 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely grated using a vegetable peeler (about 1/4 cup grated)

Directions:

  1. In a food processor, combine almond flour and powdered sugar; pulse for 20 to 30 seconds until evenly distributed. Sift at least once through a fine mesh sieve, discarding any larger particles.
  2. Place egg whites in a clean metal mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on medium speed until frothy, then slowly add superfine sugar, a little bit at a time with the mixer on medium speed, scraping down the side of the bowl periodically. When all the sugar has been added, increase speed to medium high and whip until meringue is firm and glossy and forms medium-stiff peaks.
  3. Pour half of the almond flour mixture into the meringue and stir, folding and scraping a few times until no dry flour remains. Add the remaining flour and mix, folding and spreading the batter against the sides of the bowl about 15 to 20 times or just until the meringue and flour are incorporated and the batter falls off the spatula in thick ribbons. Do not overmix.
  4. Transfer the batter to a large piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip, twisting the end of the bag to prevent the batter from leaking. Pipe small circles onto a parchment or silicone-mat-lined baking sheet, leaving about 1-inch of space between them.
  5. Rap the baking sheet firmly on the counter, then smack the bottom of the baking sheet multiple times with your hand to remove any remaining air bubbles. If any pointy ‘tips’ still remain, you can gently press them down with a lightly moistened fingertip. Sprinkle with cocoa nibs (if using), and set aside to dry.
  6. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. When macarons are dry (you should be able to just barely touch the surface of the cookies with a dry finger without them sticking), stack the baking sheet on top of another empty baking sheet (this will help them bake more evenly). Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, keeping an eye on them to make sure they do not brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack, then gently remove from baking sheets.
  7. To prepare filling, beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Mix in flour, salt, vanilla, and almond extract on low speed until incorporated. Add cream and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes, adding more cream if necessary to acheive desired consistency. Stir in grated chocolate. Transfer mixture to a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip. Gently pipe about a teaspoon of filling onto underside of half of the cooled cookies, then top with remaining cookies.
  8. Cookies will keep, refrigerated in an airtight container, for up to three days.

Cookie recipe from I Love Macarons.

All images and text © / Love & Olive Oil

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39 Comments

  1. They look beautiful! Pinned. Thanks

  2. these are genius!

  3. Wow, just wow!
    I bet they were incredibly delicious!
    I hope you don’t mind if I feature you on food fight this Sunday (photo and link back only!)

  4. What a perfect macaron flavor. I love that filling!

  5. Oh, i adore macarons :) they are so adorable and oh so tasty! Yours look wonderful.

  6. Happy belated cookie dough lovers day! These macarons look amazing. I’ve yet to attempt to tackle making them myself… its on my list of this to make this year!

  7. Looks like you nailed making macarons because these are gorgeous! And the cookie dough filling is obviously perfect!

  8. These are beautiful and the best way to celebrate cookie dough day!

  9. Love the cookie dough filling!

  10. This makes me want to dig right in!! Question for you: what font is “cookie dough” in? Looking for some new fonts to download :) thanks!

  11. Lovely macarons! And I love this holiday!

  12. Aw Lindsay these look so perfect! I adore the idea of cookie dough filling- I’d absolutely love to try one! Congrats on the one year anniversary of your book! :)

  13. eeeeeek these are soooooo beautiful I feel the need to reach into the screen!

  14. Officially making these ASAP!

  15. I recently made a cake with tons of almond extract and I wish I could wear almond extract as a perfume. Or wear that cake. Or one of your macarons. They look amazing, Linsday! Sorry you decided to scrap the recipe from your book at the last minute, but better safe than sorry. But yeah, I had to make a call like that too. It’s hard. These are book-worthy!

    • Jergens Original Scent Lotion was and still is almond scented.
      I have used it since I was a kid. (Lindsay’s mom!)

  16. Aww…Happy Cookie Dough Day, Lindsay! Yes, my mouth is watering. Gorgeous macarons and photography, girl! How am I celebrating? I’m going to make your Almond Cookie Dough Filling, eat it by the spoonful for dessert and make yummy sounds. Then, I am going to cry in my cookie dough…because I was invited to the ZipList Party by Lori and Maria…and, I’ll miss meeting y’all–including Georgia! :( So sad I cannot attend BHF in Austin this year. Please (please!) start a petition to repeat the Austin venue for BHF 2014? With all the BBQ lovers, and lovers of everything Texas, maybe this will be a shoe in? :) Fabulous post, m’lady. You ROCK! xo

  17. I love the flecks of chocolate in the cookie dough filling. Looks eat-with-a-spoon-worthy to me!

  18. These look so tasty, I love macaroons! I’ve never tried making them though.

  19. That almond cookie dough filling is really the selling point for me! Your macarons look so, so lovely. I’m super jealous (:

  20. Oh wow, what an amazing flavor for macarons! Now if I could just get super-plain ones down, I could try for nailing these, too! Thanks for sharing, Lindsay. Hope to meet you tomorrow at the Ziplist party!

  21. Oh yum. I wish I’d known ahead of time of the occasion, I would have made something with cookie dough!

  22. Those look so unbelievable! Great recipe!

  23. I should’ve bookmarked this holiday last year, totally forgot! Excited about this recipe though.

  24. Awesome! So it’s like a bonus recipe?? I’ll print it and tape it in the back of the book ;) Love it!

  25. I have making macarons on my bucket list!!! I’m a little afraid to make them. Yours look delicious!!!

  26. I tasted my first macaron yesterday! I am so ready to make them. This looks like a great recipe!

  27. I have to admit that I have never tried a macaroons, but the thought of cookie dough macaroons sounds delicious. I plan on trying this recipe over the weekend! Thanks for posting!

  28. GAH …. this post is not helping me! I’m in an argument with myself this morning, debating on whether or not I should order macarons for my daughter’s birthday … from a bakery 2 hours away. Sigh…. you make them look so amazing.

  29. Lindsay- great recipe! Almost gluten free- how about listing an alternative flour option- maybe rice flour or more almond flour- for the cookie dough filling for a gluten-free macaron treat!

  30. Oh my, what a vision! What a shame this didn’t make the cookbook, but I am so happy you are sharing this today. Simply fabulous (and whenever I do get around to making macarons, this will be the first batch for sure.).

  31. I made a resolution that I’ll make macaroons this year. Almost a half year passed and Id didn’t happen. Thank you for this recipe, it will be a good motivation.

  32. Having finally gotten a batch of macarons to actually work the other weekend, I told myself I wouldn’t tempt fate again and just let my macaron baking career end with that successful batch. These are seriously tempting me though!

  33. You’re so on top of things! Perfect macarons!

  34. Yes my mouth is watering. So sad that these got cut from the book but happy that you shared the recipe today with us.

  35. these look amazing!

  36. Ooo ooo! I want to go home and make those cookie dough whoopie pies to celebrate. Or I’d just settle for one (or eight) of these beauties! ;) Happy Cookie Dough Day!

  37. Almond cookie dough! That sounds incredible and so creative!! I love the macarons and really need to just make them already!! These sound perfect and are so cute!

  38. Oh….em…gee. These sound fantastic!

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