Macaroons: 8 oz Almond paste or 1 tube

2 lg Egg whites

7 oz Almond paste

1/4 ts Almond extract

1/2 c Sugar

1 pn Salt

Chocolate filling: 3/4 c Heavy cream

2 tb Unsalted butter

8 oz Semisweet chocolate squares

1 ts Dark rum

Glaze: 8 oz Semisweet chocolate; chopped

1 tb Vegetable shortening

Recipe by: Ladies Home Journal 12/93 Macaroons: Preheat oven to 350~. Line 3 cookie sheets w/foil; set aside. Fit pastry bag with 1/4" plain tip. Combine almond paste, sugar, egg whites, almond extract and salt in mixer bowl. Beat at med. speed until smooth; increase speed to high and beat 2 mins. Spoon batter into pastry bag and pipe 3/4" rounds on prepared cookie sheets. Bake 10 to 12 mins., until light golden. Cool on wire racks. Carefully peel cookies from foil; set aside. Chocolate filling: Meanwhile, heat cream in med. saucepan to just boiling. Remove from heat. Add chocolate, butter, and rum; stir until smooth. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until thick enough to pipe; about 40 mins. Fit pastry bag with 1/2" plain tip. Spoon in filling and pipe

small mound on flat side of each macaroon. Place on cookie sheets and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hr. Chocolate glaze: Melt chocolate and shortening in double boiler over hot, not boiling water, stirring until smooth; keep warm. Dip 1 cookie, filling side down, in chocolate to coat, then place chocolate side up on jellyroll pan. Repeat with remaining cookies. Refrigerate until firm. Makes 8 doz. Per cookie: -----