German Meringue Cookies – Nussmakronen

Dieser Beitrag ist auch verfügbar auf: Deutsch (German)

Sharing is caring!

These chocolate-dipped German Meringue Cookies (Haselnussmakronen) are a gluten-free traditional German Christmas cookie recipe you will love. Jump to Recipe

Let’s enter the cozy season with a simple recipe for German meringue cookies called Haselnussmakronen, translated as hazelnut macaroons. Crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside, and dipped into melted chocolate, these hazelnut meringue cookies aka Haselnussmakronen are the BOMB! Naturally gluten-free without any flour.

Oma’s hazelnut meringue cookies are a true classic and a popular German Christmas cookie.  With just a few ingredients, these chewy hazelnut meringue cookies are quick and easy to make and are an excellent way to use up egg whites leftover from baking Christmas cookies.

With Grandma’s fail-poof Haselnussmakronen recipe, you’ll master the traditional German Christmas cookie. They should be crisp on the outside, yet wonderfully moist on the inside, topped with whole hazelnuts. To ensure your success, I’ve got plenty of tips for you. Hazelnut macarons pair perfectly with a cup of coffee or mulled wine.

These moist hazelnut macarons are often the first Christmas treat to disappear they’re that delicious. 

Tips for making German Meringue Cookies (Haselnussmakronen) 

• Over the years, I’ve baked my way through numerous hazelnut macaron recipes, and this one has the perfect balance of sugar to nuts, so stick to the recipe and please use a scale. German baking is about precision and while I do add cups for you I really recommend you use the scale.
• Macarons need to dry rather than bake. Preheat the oven to 140°C with a convection fan and bake for 20-25 minutes, which works perfectly for me.
• Be sure to taste and smell the ground nuts. Store-bought nuts are often stale.
• Gently fold in the nuts to avoid collapsing the meringue completely.
• Pipe perfect macarons: I use a piping bag with a star-shaped tip to form small heaps directly onto the baking sheet, but you can also place them on wafers.
• Hazelnut macarons love chocolate. Once they have cooled after baking, you can either dip one side in chocolate or drizzle melted chocolate over the cookies with a spoon.

Ingredients: 

The exact quantities are below in the recipe card. 

• Egg Whites: The egg whites provide the structure and stability of the macarons. They are beaten to stiff peaks and give the macarons their airy texture.
• Lemon Juice: Lemon juice is often added to enhance the stability of the egg whites and ensure they become stiff.
• Sugar: Sugar imparts sweetness to the macarons and helps stabilize the egg whites. 
• Ground Hazelnuts: You can grind them yourself in a spice mill or food processor. Ground hazelnuts fgive the macarons their nutty taste and unique consistency. Make sure you use fresh nuts.
• Cinnamon: Cinnamon adds a spicy aroma that complements the hazelnuts and adds an extra dimension of flavor to the macarons.
• Vanilla Paste: Vanilla paste imparts a rich vanilla aroma to the macarons and provides pleasant sweetness.
• Salt: A pinch of salt enhances the flavors in the macarons and helps balance the sweetness.
• Whole Hazelnuts: The whole, unpeeled hazelnuts placed in the center of the macarons are not only decorative but also provide a delightful crunch.

How to Make German Meringue Cookies / Hazelnut Macaroons: 

Also make sure. to watch the recipe video below the recipe card. 

1. Start by separating the eggs. You only need the egg whites, so carefully separate them from the yolks.
2. Preheat the oven to 150°C with a convection fan (140°C). Using convection is one of the best tips to ensure that the macarons stay soft on the inside and crisp on the outside.
3. In a clean, grease-free bowl, beat the three egg whites with a teaspoon of lemon juice and a large pinch of salt until stiff. Gradually add 150 g of sugar while continuing to beat until you have a shiny mixture. Stir in the vanilla paste or vanilla powder.
4. Now, it’s time to add the ground hazelnuts. Mix them with cinnamon and gently fold them into the egg white mixture until well combined. Be very careful while folding to avoid deflating the meringue.

5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using an ice cream scoop (or teaspoons) or a piping bag with a round or star-shaped tip, place about 25 small portions directly on the sheet, pressing a whole hazelnut into the center of each portion. This gives the macarons their distinctive appearance. Tip: Allow the macarons to dry at room temperature for about 1 – 1 1/2 hours to prevent them from spreading too much. In this case, do not preheat the oven.
6. Alternatively, you can evenly distribute the nut mixture on wafers. Using a spoon or teaspoon, create small heaps on a baking sheet, placing a whole hazelnut in the center of each heap.
7. Place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the preheated oven. Bake the macarons for about 20 minutes until they have a very light golden color and feel dry.
8. After baking, let the macarons cool on a wire rack. They will become crispy, making them a perfect addition to cookies, coffee, or tea.

Storing Hazelnut Macarons: 

Hazelnut macarons should not be stored for too long, as the longer they are stored, the drier and harder they become. Additionally, make sure you have an airtight cookie tin to prevent them from drying out

Why are my Meringue cookies hard? 

Macarons can become hard when they are baked for too long or at too high a temperature. It’s crucial to precisely follow the baking time and temperature to achieve the desired consistency.

What to do when macarons turn hard?

If your macarons have become hard, you can try placing them briefly in a preheated oven at 150°C and covering them with a damp cloth. This can help them absorb some moisture and become softer again.

Why did my Hazelnut Meringues spread in the oven? 

Hazelnut macarons spread apart when the egg whites are not beaten to a sufficient stiffness. Make sure to beat the egg whites properly and leave enough space between the mounds to prevent them from merging.

It’s also important to place the macarons on cold baking sheets. For beautifully tall mounds, let them dry for half an hour to an hour before baking, or for a few minutes in a cold place, ideally on a terrace or balcony.

For more German Christmas recipes check out my round-up for German christmas Cookies,  my German Hazelnut Cookies or my Linzer Cookies Recipe

Print

German Hazelnut Meringue Cookies ( Haselnussmakronen)

These German Hazelnut Meringue Cookies ( Haselnussmakronen) are a glutenfree traditional German Christmas cookie recipe you will love. 

Course Snack

Cuisine German

Keyword German Hazelnut Cookies, Hazelnut Meringue Cookies

Prep Time 35 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 25

Calories 120 kcal

Ingredients

• 3 egg whites
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 150 g sugar 3/4 cups
• 250 g ground hazelnuts 2 1/4 cups
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla paste or vanilla powder
• 1 large pinch of salt
• 50 g whole unpeeled hazelnuts for decoration 25 nuts
• 200 g chopped milk chocolate 1 cup choc chips or chopped

Instructions

1. Start by separating the eggs. You only need the egg whites, so carefully separate them from the yolks.

2. Preheat the oven to 302 F/ 150°C or, even better with a convection fan (140°C / 284F). Using convection is one of the best tips to ensure that the macarons stay soft on the inside and crisp on the outside.

3. In a clean, grease-free bowl, beat the three egg whites with a teaspoon of lemon juice and a large pinch of salt until stiff. Gradually add 150 g of sugar while continuing to beat until you have a shiny mixture. Stir in the vanilla paste or vanilla powder.
4. Now, it's time to add the ground hazelnuts. Mix them with cinnamon and gently fold them into the egg white mixture until well combined. Be very careful while folding to avoid deflating the meringue.

5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using an ice cream scoop (or teaspoons) or a piping bag with a round or star-shaped nozzle, pipe about 25 small portions directly on the sheet, pressing a whole hazelnut into the center of each portion. This gives the macarons their distinctive appearance. Tip: Allow the macarons to dry at room temperature for about 1 - 1 1/2 hours to prevent them from spreading too much. In this case, do not preheat the oven yet.

6. Alternatively, you can evenly distribute the nut mixture onto wafers (German oblaten - like the ones you use for gingerbread). Using a spoon or teaspoon, create small heaps on a baking sheet, placing a whole hazelnut in the center of each heap.

7. Place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the preheated oven. Bake the macarons for about 20 minutes until they have a very light golden color and feel dry.
8. After baking, let the macarons cool on a wire rack. They will become crispy, making them a perfect addition to cookies, coffee, or tea.

Recipe Video