Almond macaroons with orange and marzipan

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 225 g almonds, ground
• 3 egg whites
• 75 g powdered sugar
• 75 g sugar
• 125 g marzipan paste
• 1 packet of Bourbon vanilla sugar
• 2 packs of orange peel flavor
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 pack of dark chocolate coating

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 40 minutes

Preheat oven to 160°C (top/bottom heat). Mix the almonds with the cinnamon, sugar, vanilla sugar, and orange zest. Cut the marzipan into small pieces and add to the almond mixture. I then crumble the marzipan with my hands until the mixture is fairly homogeneous. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form, gradually adding the powdered sugar until the mixture is glossy. Carefully fold the egg whites into the almond marzipan mixture and place on a baking sheet lined with baking paper along with two teaspoons of macaroon mixture. This yields 40-50 macaroons, depending on size. Bake the macaroons for about 20 minutes. The time may vary slightly depending on the oven. Let the macaroons cool. Melt the chocolate coating in a double boiler and decorate the macaroons with the chocolate coating using a fork or spoon. Note: I use two packets of grated organic orange peel from the house brand of a large organic supermarket. It probably works just as well with freshly grated organic orange peel. I’ve also baked this recipe with 1.5 packets of Finesse, but I find it even better (and more natural) with the organic orange peel. Incidentally, it also works with ground hazelnuts, as I once discovered out of necessity.