“Drumroll, please,” said Amy Scattergood in the Los Angeles Times. Our challenge to the city’s top two-dozen pastry chefs and bakers was to send us their finest cookie creations for the holidays. “Many entries were delivered by hired messengers, some by white-clad kitchen staff, one from a pastry chef, her little daughter in tow.” We tasted orange madeleines, raisin-filled sugar-and-spice cookies, chocolate sable cookies, pistachio
butter cookies, sesame tuiles, and many more. But the top prize went to Sherry Yard, pastry chef of Spago, and Sixto Pocasangre, pastry chef of Wolfgang Puck Catering. This “delicate riff on the French classic” is a terrific blend of texture and complex flavors—ginger, spice, and apples.
Recipe of the week
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Gingerbread Macarons
Apple compote
6 tbsp butter, cut in 1-inch pieces
1/2 vanilla bean, cut lengthwise and scraped of seeds
3 large or 4 medium Fuji apples, peeled, cored, and cut into eighths
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tbsp heavy cream
2 tbsp lemon juice
In large skillet over medium flame add butter, vanilla bean, seeds; cook until butter turns golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add apples, letting them caramelize on one side, then turn, about 5 minutes total.
Sprinkle sugar and brown sugar over apples and cook, turning occasionally to caramelize and soften fruit, about 10 minutes. Add heavy cream, continue to cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Remove vanilla bean,
put apple mixture in food processor, add lemon juice, pulse until smooth. Cool over ice, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Macarons
1 cup plus 3 tbsp almond flour
2 cups plus 3 tbsp powdered sugar
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon
4 egg whites
3/4 tsp cream of tartar
Scant 4 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp blackstrap molasses
Line two 17-by-12-inch baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside. In food processor, blend almond flour, powdered sugar, ginger, cinnamon for 1 minute. Sift blended almond mixture directly into medium mixing bowl. Set aside. Fill small saucepan halfway with water. Bring to simmer, remove from heat. In bowl of stand mixer, whisk egg whites until foamy. Place bowl over pot of hot water, whisk quickly until egg whites reach 100 degrees on candy thermometer.
Remove bowl from pot of water, whisk in cream of tartar. Place on stand mixer fitted with whip attachment. Whip on medium speed for 2 minutes, then gradually beat in sugar. Continue whipping for 6 minutes until egg whites come to medium stiff peaks and are shiny.
Turn mixer to lowest setting, carefully spoon in molasses. Remove bowl from mixer. Add egg whites to almond mixture by gently bringing flat side of rubber spatula through center of egg whites and up opposite side of bowl, folding dry ingredients over egg whites. Repeat same motion 50 times, turning bowl a quarter turn each time.
Fit pastry bag with medium round tip (No. 4) and fill with mixture. On parchment-lined baking sheets, pipe 1-inch rounds (the batter will be slightly wet) by holding bag at slight angle and releasing small amounts of batter. Allow 1/2-inch between cookies; they will spread slightly. Keep piped cookies at room temperature, uncovered, for 1 to 2 hours (this will help form a skin).
Heat oven to 325 degrees, placing racks in center and lower shelves of oven. Bake macarons for 12 minutes, reverse trays on racks and rotate. Bake 12 to 14 minutes more, or until firm and not wet. Cool on rack.
Fill macarons by placing apple compote in pastry bag fitted with small round tip. Pipe 1/2-inch round of filling on to bottom (flat side) of one cookie, then place another cookie on top to make sandwich (try to pick two cookies of same size and shape). Twist gently to spread filling. These are best
filled 1 hour before eating so apple compote makes macaron melt in your mouth. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.
