Almond Macaroons

These—like all classics—are a little temperamental: you have to pipe them out onto the baking sheet. High humidity will defi nitely destroy the batter, so make them on a sunny, dry day. Despite all that, there’s a big payoff: a moist, domed almond cookie that’s perfect with a bowl of berries.

One 7-ounce tube almond paste

1 cup sugar

2 large egg whites, whisked until foamy in a small bowl, at room temperature

1⁄4 teaspoon salt, optional

• Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
• Place the almond paste and sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until well blended, in soft but dry pieces, somewhat like the feel of Play-Doh but not smooth or creamy, about 5 minutes.
• Beat in the egg whites in 1-tablespoon increments, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. When all the egg whites have been added, beat until the batter is the consistency of caulk or grout, a little grainy but very smooth, and able to hold its shape.
• Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking mat. Alternatively, fi ll a pastry bag fi tted with a #8 (5⁄8-inch) tip with the batter and pipe out small kisses that have about 11⁄2 teaspoons batter in each; swirl the bag at the end of each dollop to create a twisty topknot on each macaroon.
• Bake until lightly browned and a little cracked but still soft to the touch, about 8 minutes.
• To cool: Let the cookies stand on the baking sheet for 4 minutes before transferring with a metal spatula to a wire rack to cool completely. Cool the baking sheet for 5 minutes before making more macaroons; replace the parchment paper if it’s frizzled or browned.
• To store: The macaroons can be kept at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days; freezing is not recommended

. Makes about 30 cookies