Thoothukudi Macaroons | South Indian Macaroons | Crispy Indian Meringues | Cashew Nut Macaroons

Have you tasted the south Indian macaroons, most commonly called the Thoothukudi macaroons? If not you are definitely missing something really sweet and special. These are cone shaped, light, airy, crunchy and nutty and what not.., every bite makes you sink into a nutty world full of flavors, the crisp texture turns spongy after a bite and just melts away in a jiffy. Being a native of Tuticorin (Thoothukudi), it is a shame if I do not post about my land's proud dessert. This is my 300th post and I wanted to share the best I can. These Macaroons in our land is a special costly edible gift or sweet that can be smelled in any streets of Tuticorin, you can get one kilogram of these light crunchy macaroons for Rs.600 and  costs even more during festive days. This is one among the edible gifts that we share during occasional family visits or during any celebration. The ingredient that make these macaroons really special are the cashews added, they really make the macaroons smell and taste so good. Also they say there is something in the air in Tuticorin that helps make the best baked goodies. Yes its true almost everyone who have tasted the bakery products of Tuticorin will agree with me in the prior statement. There are too many fans for these macaroons and many have been on hunt for the recipe, so I thought would share it here. It is made in a firewood oven in our hometown and that is the secret behind its perfection, but still I have replicated the same using an electric oven. These crunchy delights is said to have entered our hometown during the influence of European colonization. Around the world the macaroons are circular and flat but here in Tuticorin, it has a unique cone shape, is crisp both in the inside and out, with nutty flavor. The method is a bit tricky but when you learn all the tricks, it will yield you the perfect macaroons.  

After 2 failure attempts I got the perfectly baked macaroons and I have shared the perfect recipe here. The first time I baked them the oven temperature was not correct and so I got  macaroons that were crispy outside but with a gooey inside, the second time I guessed the temperature correctly but I over baked them and got slightly brownish macaroons, but 3rd attempt was the best with perfect crispiness inside and out also I got the perfect whitish color, mistakes do teach us lessons. But these settings purely depends on the oven and the size of your macaroons. I have got the ratio and tips from a baker from our hometown, special thanks to my little sister Afra who got me the tips and tricks from him. For best results please check out my tips section at the bottom. You do not need much just some egg whites, sugar and some cashews will do the magic, not even oil or butter is needed. Now lets check out how I made these nutty sweet. 

 

INGREDIENTS

Serves 20 small macaroons 

Total Preparation Time - 1 hour 30 minutes

1. Egg whites - From 2 eggs (at room temperature)
2. Cashew nuts - 100 grams 
3. Granulated sugar - 120 grams 

PREPARATION METHOD

• Powder sugar and set aside. Grind cashews into a coarse powder and set aside. Do not add water.

• Using an electric beater, beat egg whites well until it turns frothy and creams up well. 
• Now add sugar little by little as you beat. Do not stop beating and do not add all the sugar at once. 
• Beat well until it turns creamy and thick (you should not feel any sugar, it should be creamy and not gritty). To get this consistency it may take 20 to 30 minutes. 
• The beaten egg white mixture should form stiff peaks and should not drop. 

• Now stop beating and add the coarse cashew powder and just fold in using a spatula or spoon. Do not beat after this. 

• Preheat the oven to 150°C for 10 minutes. 
• Line a baking tray with parchment paper. 
• To make the macaroon shapes, use a piping bag (icing bag). Fill a piping bag (fitted with a round icing tip) with the egg white mixture and squeeze / pipe out macaroon shapes as I have shown in the video at the bottom of the page. I used a small round icing tip, but a bigger one is preferred to make medium sized macaroons. I made small bite sized macaroons with this nozzle that were one and half inches in height. 

• Now slide the tray into the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes at 100°C. Time to bake may vary depending on the size of the macaroons. But always make sure to bake the macaroons in the least temperature possible and for a longer time. If your oven is too hot it might burn the macaroons and you may also get cracked macaroons. (if it is more than 2 inch height bake for another extra 10 minutes or else the macaroons will be crispy outside but wont be baked inside)

• Once done, do not remove immediately from oven, leave the oven door open for 20 minutes or so and then remove the tray. Set aside until it cools down then transfer to airtight containers. Stays well and crisp for a week if stored in airtight containers. If left open will turn spongy. 
• If you do not wish to make the shapes, then pipe them into flat circles like in the below pic and bake them, either way they taste so crisp and delicious. 

TIP 1: You can shape the macaroons without a piping bag too but using a piping bag will give you a perfect look. 

TIP 2: Never beat after adding cashews if so it will liquefy again and you wont get the shapes.

TIP 3: Make sure to bake the macaroons in lowest temperature for a longer time, this will help you get crispier inside and outside. Also see that only the bottom of the heating rod is heated up if you have the option to heat up the rods. Without a parchment paper the bottom will burn immediately also, butter or oil is not needed here. The bottom should be like  the following pic it must not brown too much. 

TIP 4: Store in airtight containers to increase the shelf life of macaroons and maintain its crispness. 

Super crisp and nutty Thoothukudi macaroons are now ready serve them or gift pack them for your friends and relatives!! It is definitely a treat to be shared.!!

To check out how I made the macaroon shapes watch this video..!!!

Hope it helps :)