By ChefGina

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Cinnamon Whiskey Macaroons

Cinnamon Whiskey Macaroons

In Book 1: Tennessee Whiskey Cure, Chef Gina finds herself crafting recipes that utilize whiskey as a significant flavor component.

And with the holidays upon us, our Chef Gina test kitchen staff found themselves experimenting with whiskey fillings for macaroons.

Normally, making macaroons can be a bit intimidating, but our staff found that our version results in fun (although more relaxed with modest volume) decadent cookies.

In case you are a new visitor to our Chef Gina’s Love, Adventure, and Recipe Series, Chef Gina is a fictional character that is being featured in our 32 food lit novellas.  Each novella takes Gina on an adventure in a different state while highlighting regional flavors.

Cinnamon Whiskey Macaroons

Cookie Ingredients:

3 Egg Whites

1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar

2 Cups Powdered Sugar

1/4 Cup Almond Flour

1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg

Food Coloring

Filling 1 Ingredients

8 Ounces Cream Cheese

1 Cup Sugar

1/2 Ounce Cinnamon Whiskey

1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Filling 2 Ingredients:

4 Ounces Apple Jelly

1/2 Ounce Cinnamon Whiskey

1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, beat together 3 egg whites and 1/4 cup granulated sugar until meringue forms.  A good meringue will have nice stiff peaks.  Be patient with this as it directly affects the volume your cookies will rise to while cooking.

Over the meringue, sift 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup almond flour, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg.  Fold the dry ingredients gently into the meringue.

Warning:  Over folding/stirring will decrease the volume of the cookies.

Because we wanted festive macaroons, we choose to divide our cookie batter into two bowls to add two different colors to our mix.  We then transferred each of the colored batters to baggies to pipe onto a silicon baking mat.

Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator and let the batter rest for 1 hour.  This allows a thin shell to form on the top of each cookie.

Once the shell has formed, bake in a 325-degree oven for ten to fourteen minutes.  If the macaroons are under-cooked,  the top shell will move slightly when touched.  When fully baked, it stays secure to the inner part of the cookie.  Be careful not to over-bake as it moves quickly from under-cooked to ready!

Let the cookies cool on the mat before sandwiching with filling.

For the outer part of the filling, combine 8 Ounces Cream Cheese, 1 Cup Sugar, 1/2 Ounce Cinnamon Whiskey, and 1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon into a smooth filling.  Place in piping bag and use to fill the outer circle of the cookie leaving a round, quarter-sized space in the center for the inner filling.

For the inner part of the filling, combine 4 Ounces Apple Jelly, 1/2 Ounce Cinnamon Whiskey,  and 1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg.  Spoon into the center of the cookies.

Sandwich with a second side of the cookie.  We only applied filling to one side of the cookies.

Have fun with the whiskey flavor.  We chose Jack Daniels Fire for the whiskey components.   Be aware that whiskey left uncooked contains alcohol!

You’ll find that this sweet confection is tempered somewhat by the whiskey flavor resulting in a balance of goodness.

If you don’t get the volume that the fancy macaroon shops get for their cookies – don’t worry about it.  They are still yummy!

Cinnamon Whiskey Macaroons

Here's an "Adult Only" Cinnamon Whiskey Macaroon recipe for you to try – just in time for the holidays! http://chefgina.online/cinnamon-whiskey-macaroons

Posted by Chef Gina's Love, Adventure, and Recipe Series on Friday, December 21, 2018

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