Bitterkoekjes – Almond Macaroons

My father-in-law is the youngest of seven children. His family immigrated from Holland to the United States before the last three children were born. My husband grew up loving Dutch treats from a local bakery, especially the bitterkoekjes, an almond macaroon. 

When the bakery went out of business a few years ago, my husband decided he would make the bitterkoekjes for the family Christmas gathering. He started with a basic almond macaroon recipe on the almond paste package and tweaked it until it tasted like the bitterkoekjes he remembered.

So for week 11 of my 12 Weeks of Christmas I am posting my husband’s recipe for bitterkoekjes. He is the only one in his family to make these cookies because they can be a bit temperamental and others in his family have not been successful making them. They usually stick to the parchment paper. The recipe suggested wetting the paper on the bottom, but he prefers to let them cool on the tray and then put the tray in the freezer for a few minutes and then they’re much easier to remove from the paper.

Bitterkoekjes  - Almond Macaroons
makes about 5 dozen cookies

2.3 lb. almond paste
7 egg whites
2 cups powdered sugar
2 cups granulated sugar

Combined room temperature almond paste with egg whites in mixing bowl until mixed well. Add granulated sugar, mix well. Slowly add powdered sugar one cup at a time.

Drop the macaroons on to parchment paper using a #40 ice cream scoop and slightly flatten the tops of the cookies with a damp finger. Bake at 340º for 11 minutes until lightly browned on the bottom and the tops have set and stopped bubbling.

Cool on baking tray for five minutes. Slide parchment off of tray on to cooling rack, and then put cookies on the cooling rack in the freezer for five minutes before removing the cookies from the parchment.

For more delicious 12 weeks of Christmas cookies visit:
Megan from Megan's Cookin
April from Abbys Sweets
Denise from Keeper Worthy Recipes
Megan's from My Baking Adventures
Kim from Stirring the Pot




As part of our 12 weeks of Christmas cookies, we also did a Cookie Swap. Yesterday I received a fun package of Christmas gifts from Kim at Stirring the Pot. She sent me her delicious Andes Creme De Menthe Cookies, which I’m eating as I’m writing! She also included a cute wicker hat basket, a cookie plate kit, and bath soap and a Santa bath bomb from Lush. Thanks Kim!



Then today I received another great surprise in the mail. Lorraine, Not Quite Nigella, my adopted blogging daughter from Australia sent her “Mum” some fabulous treats from the Austrian Christmas Markets. Lorraine was in Austria on a media familiarization trip arranged by the Austrian National Tourist Office, which was sponsored by Emirates Airlines. You really should read her post on the Austrian Christmas Markets. They sound fabulous. It was so nice of her to think of me while she was there! Thanks Lorraine!