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1
Grind and sift the dry ingredients:
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2
Combine the hazelnuts and 1 cup of the confectioners sugar in a nut grinder or food processor and grind to a fine powder, stopping the machine once or twice to scrape down the corners and sides and toss the nuts around.
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3
In a dry bowl, whisk the ground nuts with the remaining confectionary sugar and salt.
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4
Set aside.
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5
Make the meringue (see the Note on a French meringue and egg white foams):
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6
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites on medium-high speed until they begin to foam.
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7
Add the cream of tartar and whisk until the whites are completely foamy and begin to hold the line of the whisk.
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8
Add the sugar, 2 teaspoons at a time.
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9
As you add the sugar, the whites will become shiny and gain volume.
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10
Turn the mixer to slow speed, add the remaining sugar, and beat until the meringue is shiny and smooth with soft peaks.
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11
Fold the dry ingredients into the meringue:
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12
Scrape the meringue into the dry ingredients and gently fold together until the dry ingredients have been absorbed by the meringue and the mixture is smooth and creamy.
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13
If the batter seems a bit stiff-it holds the point of a spatula if you quickly remove it-continue folding until it has a more fluid texture.
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14
Do not work it so much that the batter becomes runny.
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15
Pipe the cookies:
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16
Line 4 cookie sheets with parchment.
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17
Scrape half of the batter into a pastry bag with the top folded back in a 4-inch cuff, and fitted with a round tip (#4 to #6).
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18
Unfold the cuff and twist the top of the bag closed, pushing and squeezing the batter down toward the tip.
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19
Hold the bag upright, about 1 inch above the cookie sheet, and gently squeeze out small mounds 1 1/4 inches in diameter, which will settle into 1 1/2-inch circles.
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20
Give the bag a gentle squeeze and then quickly pull the tip up so you control how much comes out and how the cookie ultimately takes shape.
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21
Squeeze out 6 rows of 7 cookies per cookie sheet.
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22
Allow the cookies to sit at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours, to dry out the tops.
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23
Do not bake until you can gently touch the top of a piped cookie without any residue remaining on your finger.
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24
Make an orange buttercream:
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25
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment (or a medium-sized stainless-steel bowl on a wet rag to hold the bowl in place), combine the yolks and 2 tablespoons of the sugar and whisk for 30 seconds.
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26
Simultaneously, in a small saucepan, combine the orange zest, remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, and 3 tablespoons of water.
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27
Cook over high heat until the mixture reaches 248F on a candy thermometer.
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28
To test the syrup without a thermometer, dip a fork into the syrup and drizzle a bit on the counter.
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29
The sugar droplet should cool into a pliable ball that scrapes cleanly off the counter.
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30
Drizzle the orange syrup down the side of the bowl into the egg yolks, whisking them briskly to blend.
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31
Continue whisking the egg yolk mixture until the yolks have tripled in volume, hold the lines of the whisk, and have cooled.
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32
Add the butter and Grand Marnier and whisk until the buttercream is fluffy and creamy with stiff, shiny, pointy peaks.
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33
Preheat the oven to 350F.
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34
Set two racks in the oven, one at the very top and one on the bottom.
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35
Bake the macaroons:
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36
Once the macaroons have dried properly, place one cookie sheet in the oven on the top shelf for 8 minutes.
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37
Open the oven door, rotate the cookie sheet, and place it on the bottom shelf.
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38
Place the second cookie sheet in the oven on the top shelf and bake for another 8 minutes.
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39
After baking first on the top shelf and then on the bottom, the cookies should be ready.
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40
Remove the sheet on the bottom shelf from the oven and repeat this baking process until all four cookie sheets have been baked.
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41
The macaroons should have puffed evenly, become shiny, and fallen slightly.
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42
They almost look like half a hamburger bun.
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43
Fill and sandwich the macaroons:
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44
Once the cookies have cooled, flip half of the cookies over.
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45
Scrape the buttercream into a pastry bag with the top folded back in a 4-inch cuff, and fitted with a 1/3-inch-diameter round tip.
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46
Unfold the cuff and twist the top of the bag closed, pushing and squeezing the buttercream down toward the tip.
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47
Hold the bag upright, about 1 inch above each inverted cookie, and gently squeeze out a small mound of butter cream, about the size of a nickel, onto the upturned cookies.
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48
Do not cover the whole cookie; there should be a clear rim of cookie around the mound of butter cream.
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49
Top each cookie with a second macaroon, gently pressing down so the buttercream spreads to the edges of the sandwich.
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50
Serving Suggestions:
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51
Serve these cookies with a cup of coffee or tea.
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52
Variations:
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53
Almond Macaroons:
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54
Substitute almonds for hazelnuts and use any flavor of butter cream.
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55
Vanilla Buttercream:
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56
To make a vanilla buttercream, omit the orange zest and slice and scrape a vanilla bean into the boiling syrup.
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57
The Grand Marnier (or other alcohol) is optional.
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58
Chocolate Buttercream:
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59
Melt 2 ounces of chocolate, allow it to cool, and whisk it into the finished buttercream.
