Sarah Bernhardt Cookies

makes 30-32

THESE EXTRAVAGANT COOKIES ARE NAMED AFTER SARAH BERNHARDT (1844-1923), AN ECCENTRIC FRENCH ACTRESS ABSOLUTELY ADORED BY HER AUDIENCES. ONE OF THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL STARS, SHE PERFORMED IN DENMARK ON ONE OF HER TOURS, AND THE DANES THANKED HER WITH THIS RECIPE.

ingredients

ganache

2 cups heavy cream

3 tablespoons honey

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

16 ounces semisweet chocolate

almond macarons

9 ounces marzipan paste

½ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon almond extract

½ teaspoon salt

2 egg whites

icing

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, at least 70 percent cocoa solids

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 ounces white chocolate, melted

1 To make the ganache, put the cream, honey, salt, and vanilla extract into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat. Add the chocolate and stir with a wooden spoon until melted. Cover with plastic wrap and let cool overnight.

2 Preheat the oven to 325 °F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Line a sheet with wax paper.

3 To make the macarons, put the marzipan, sugar, almond extract, and salt into a bowl and mix until well combined. Add the egg whites, one at a time, mixing well after each addition until combined.

4 Put the macaron mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain ¼-inch tip and pipe ¾-inch circles on the parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes.

5 Transfer the macarons to the wax paper-lined baking sheet. Fill a pastry bag with the ganache and pipe a little mound on each macaron. Sandwich pairs of macarons together and chill for about 30 minutes.

6 To make the icing, put the semisweet chocolate into a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water and heat until melted. Remove from the heat, stir in the oil, and let cool slightly.

7 Remove the macarons from the refrigerator and dip into the glaze. Let cool and set. Finally drizzle melted white chocolate over the semisweet chocolate icing.

8 Store the cookies in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.

Recipe from Bake