Chewy Almond Macaroons

This is my favorite Christmas cookie this year, and these macaroons have neither eggs nor coconut.  My friend Jan Baker is the best cook i know, and she brought these to my house on Christmas Eve.  She is not vegan but she searched for a vegan cookie recipe and found this one from Saveur magazine.  You might think I love this cookie just because it arrived at my doorstep in the hands of a thoughtful friend, but it's more than that.  It's also unexpected, delicious, and oh so French.   And in fact, this recipe was given to a Saveur contributor by a second-generation French boulanger (see story).  It's softly-chewy, and has the taste of cherries that  reminds me of Alsace in Spring.  It has only five ingredients and the directions look pretty simple.  Granted, you will have to seek out some almond paste (not marzipan) that is egg free, some Amaretto liqueur, and superfine sugar, but trust me, these cookies are worth it.  I'm going to see if I can find some Amaretto minis at the liquor store today and try to make them myself.  Ils sont delicieux!
*******************
CHEWY ALMOND MACAROONS

Makes about 20 macaroons

INGREDIENTS
18 oz. almond paste (not marzipan; see note)
1/2 Cup superfine sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 Tablespoons Amaretto liqueur
1 Cup powdered sugar

INSTRUCTIONS
Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Combine the almond paste, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl.
Using your hands, gently knead together just until mixture is incorporated.
Add in liqueur and gently work it into the paste to form a smooth dough.

Sift the powdered sugar into a mixing bowl.
Using a Tablespoon measure, scoop out individual portions of dough, roll into balls and place each in the bowl of powdered sugar.
Coat each ball completely with powdered sugar and place on parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving a one-inch space between each macaroon.
Pinch together the sides of each macaroon with your fingers and thumb, leaving a finger-indented well in the center like a little volcano.
Let macaroons sit out for 20 minutes (or up to one hour) to dry.
Bake until golden brown, about 10-12 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool completely.
Serve immediately or store in an airtight container.

Note:  Be sure not to over-mix the dough or the macaroons' characteristic texture will be lost.  These keep beautifully for about a week in an airtight container at room temperature.  Almond paste is similar to marzipan but contains less sugar and no fillers.  Some versions of almond paste do contain cream or eggs, so read your labels carefully.  Marzipan will not work for this recipe.  Comments on the Saveur site included letting the cookies sit out for one hour so that they would retain their volcano shape.  Others didn't worry about it and said their cookies went flat but still tasted amazing.  A couple of reviewers also recommended Solo brand almond paste and said it is vegan and also gluten free, and comes in 8-ounce cans.