Tartine's Almond Rochers
Tartine is a fun local San Francisco bakery- the lines out the door attest to this. They make great bread with a dense chewy texture & yeasty nutty goodness and awesome tarts/pies, cakes etc. I recently visited with my friend Jon, who recommended the Almond Rochers as the pinnacle of their baking achievement. Tartine's Almond Rochers are crunchy mounds of almond meringue with toasted flakes creating a 3D effect that creates a meltingly soft and chew center. Since I'm a fan of the Acme pan epi, I have to agree that the rochers are simply deliteful and my favourite item.
During the traditional Christmas cookie baking, my friend Wendy produced her birthday present- Tartine's new book- you can imagine my excitement. I quickly flipped to the Rocher recipe and announced that we were going to make it. We didn't have enough sliced almonds so I substituted almond meal but I think that resulted in a flatter and less chewy center since the cookie was overcooked. I'm going to try increasing the sliced almonds to see if that will help with the 3D structure (lattice effect). I'll post pics later...
Tartine's Almond Rochers
1 Cup + 2 Tbs Almond (sliced + meal)
2 Large egg whites
1 Cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 tsp salt (pinch)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350oF.
Line baking sheet with parchment/silpat.
Prepare a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch (no.6 or 7) plain tip.
Toast almonds in a thin layer on a baking sheet in oven until golden
brown 7-10 minutes. Cool completely. Break almonds into ~1/4 inch
pieces. Tartine warns: Large chunks will clog the pastry tip if you plan to
pipe the forms. I didn't have any trouble with clogging but that may be due to the almond meal substitution.
Over a simmering water bath (saucepan with 2 inches water), in
stainless-steel bowl of a stand mixer whisk together egg whites,
confectioners' sugar and salt. Tartine warns: bowl should NOT touch the water.
Continue whisking 5+ minutes till the mixture is hot to the touch
(120oF). Place bowl on stand mixer and fit with whisk attachment.
Whip on high until mixture is thick and holds glossy stiff peaks when
you lift the beater. (I think I should have whisked for longer since my mounds tended to collapse. Heated egg whites are supposed to be more stable than raw egg whites.) Fold in the almonds and vanilla with a spatula.
Immediately fill the pastry bag with the meringue mixture and pipe
onto the baking sheet, forming kisses approx 1 inch in diameter,
spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart. Alternatively you can drop the
meringues by the tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheet. Regular macaroons are left to rest for 30 minutes creating a "foot" with cracks etc when the cookies are finally baked.
Place the baking sheet in the oven and keep the oven door ajar with
the handle of a wooden spoon to allow moisture to escape. Bake the
cookies until they puff slightly, crack along the sides and feel dry
on the outside but soft to the touch 15-20 minutes. Transfer the
cookies to a wire rack, they will harden as they cool.
Store in airtight container at room temp for up to 2 weeks. After a
couple of days they dry out completely and are still tasty delicious.