Rum Raisin Macaroons Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Begin by soaking the raisins. Pour hot water over raisins and add rum. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside while you prepare the rest of the dish - let rest for at least 45 minutes
• Split pears down the middle retaining stem and skin. Using a melon-baller, remove the cores. Add brown sugar and butter to a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just melted. Add lemon juice and pears, cut side down, to pan then baste with melted butter and sugar. Pop into the oven for 15 to 17 minutes until pears are tender. When done remove from oven and baste once more.
• Whisk mascarpone cream gently to loosen it up. Strain raisins and gently fold into the cream. Serve pears on a plate topped with a scoop of mascarpone cream and drizzle with pear pan juices. Top with crumbled amaretto cookies.;

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Heat the milk, 1/4 cup sugar, the nutmeg and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
• Whisk the egg yolks and cornstarch in a medium bowl. When the milk mixture starts to steam, slowly pour half the milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan with the remaining milk and cook, whisking occasionally, until thick and spoonable, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in 1/4 teaspoon vanilla. Transfer the custard to a bowl and let cool to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, whisk the egg whites, rum, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Fold in the coconut. Cover and refrigerate about 30 minutes to firm up.
• Scoop level tablespoonfuls of the coconut mixture about 1 inch apart on the prepared pan. Make an indentation in the middle of each cookie with the back of a 1/4-teaspoon measuring spoon. Fill each indentation with the cooled custard.
• Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, 20 to 25 minutes. Grate some more nutmeg on top of the cookies. Let cool 10 minutes on the pan, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the almond paste and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until the almond paste is softened and the sugar well-incorporated, about 5 minutes.
• Add the egg whites a little bit at a time, incorporating fully after each addition. Egg whites are difficult to pour in small amounts, so hold a rubber spatula against the rim of the bowl, and use it to "cut" the egg whites as they are poured. If you add the egg whites all at once, the mixture will be lumpy, because the difference in consistency between the egg whites and the almond paste mixture is too great. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. You may or may not need all of the egg whites depending on the moistness and age of the almond paste. Stop mixing when the mixture reaches a consistency soft enough to pipe (similar to toothpaste).
• Place the batter in a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip. Pipe 1-inch mounds onto a parchment-lined sheet pan. It will be easier if you hold the pastry bag at a slight angle and allow the tip to touch the parchment as you start to pipe. Once you have formed the mound, stop squeezing and lift the tip straight up, leaving a small tail on the top of each mound. Space the macaroons about 1-inch apart to allow for spreading and pipe carefully. The macaroons will look nicest when sandwiched together if they are all the same size.
• Immediately before placing them in the oven, liberally sprinkle granulated sugar over the macaroons. This will give them a nice crust that will keep the inside moist and chewy. Bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. The top of each macaroon should be very finely cracked, a characteristic for which they are known. If over-baked, the macaroons will be dry and crunchy.
• Remove the sheet pan from the oven and immediately pour the water onto the sheet pan under the parchment paper. Be careful! If you get any water on the macaroons, they will be soggy. You will need to tilt the baking sheet to spread the water evenly. Let it sit for 2 minutes. The water will loosen the macaroons from the paper. Remove the macaroons from the paper two at a time and stick them together, matching the flat sides. Do not put them back on the hot, wet baking sheet or they will become soggy.
• The macaroons can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days or well wrapped in the freezer for up to one week. Unwrap them before bringing back to room temperature, or the condensation will make them soggy.

Steps:

• In a heatproof bowl set over simmering water, heat the cream until hot to the touch and turn off the heat. Meanwhile, chop 350 grams of the milk chocolate into small pieces. Add the chocolate and butter to the hot cream, and stir until the chocolate melts.
• Place the raisins and rum in the bowl of a mini food processor or blender and process until the raisins are finely minced. Stir the raisin mixture into the chocolate mixture and set aside at room temperature for at least 6 hours or overnight to cool.
• Using a 1 1/4-inch ice cream scoop, scoop balls of the rum raisin mixture and place them on sheet pans lined with parchment paper.
• To make the tempered chocolate, chop the remaining 400 grams of milk chocolate and place 3/4 of it in a small glass bowl in the microwave for 20 seconds exactly. Stir the chocolate and continue to microwave for 20 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until the chocolate is smooth and shiny. Add the remaining 1/4 of the chocolate and stir until smooth. The chocolate should register 85 to 89 degrees F on a candy thermometer.
• With 2 small spoons, pick up each ball and cover it with tempered chocolate. (You can also use your hands to coat them.) They can look a little messy and "truffle" like. Place the truffle back on the parchment paper. Continue to coat each of the balls until they're all coated with milk chocolate. Allow to sit for a few minutes until the chocolate hardens. Serve at room temperature.