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Coconut Macaroons Recipe
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Although many think of macaroons as just a combination of ground almonds
(or paste) and egg whites, in North America we like our macaroons to
contain sweetened coconut. Bite into one of these sweet tasting gems,
still warm from the oven, and you will enjoy the contrast of a crispy exterior
to a soft and chewy interior.
There are many recipes for Coconut Macaroons. I, for one, have two
Coconut Macaroon recipes on the site as I couldn't decide which one I
liked better. While they both are bursting with sweetened coconut, they
differ in both ingredients and technique. This recipe starts by warming
egg whites with white granulated sugar until creamy. Then vanilla extract,
cake flour, and coconut are folded in. Using flour gives these macaroons a
dense texture and a dome-like shape, rather than a haystack-like shape.
Unlike the other Coconut
Macaroon recipe on the site, this batter does need to the chilled
until firm. For both recipes the cookies are baked until golden brown and
are absolutely delicious warm from the oven. What I also like about these
cookies is that they store very well in the refrigerator. In fact,
sometimes I think I like them better after a day or two, when their flavor
has softened, yet they are still wonderfully moist and chewy. Now, for the chocolate lover you may want to add either
1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips or
1/2 cup of small chunks of chopped semi sweet chocolate to the batter or, better yet,
dip the bottoms of the baked and cooled cookies in melted semisweet or
bittersweet chocolate (as I have done for the other
Coconut Macaroon recipe).
Another great idea would be to make the macaroons in miniature and then
take two macaroons and sandwich them together with melted chocolate.
North Americans like sweetened coconut, rather than unsweetened coconut,
in their macaroons. Sweetened coconut is made by combining coconut with
powdered icing and is packaged either in plastic bags or cans and is
available shredded or flaked, sometimes even toasted. For this recipe I
prefer the shredded coconut, but in a pinch you can use flaked.
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Coconut Macaroons: In a stainless steel bowl,
placed over a saucepan of simmering water, whisk together the egg whites, sugar, and salt.
When this mixture is warm to the touch, and nice and creamy, remove from heat and stir in the
vanilla extract, flour, and coconut. Cover and refrigerate for about one
hour, or until firm.
Preheat oven
to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C) and line two baking sheets with parchment
paper.
Place small mounds (about 1
tablespoon) of the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing several
inches apart. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes and then place on a wire rack to cool.
Makes about 2 dozen
Macaroons.
Sources:
Lebovitz, David. Room for
Dessert. Harper Collins Publishers. New York: 1999.
Luchetti, Emily. Stars Desserts.
Harper Collins Publishers. New York: 1991
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Coconut Macaroons
4 large (120 grams) egg whites,
at room temperature
1 cup (200 grams) granulated white
sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (60 grams) cake
flour, sifted
3 cups (300 grams) sweetened
shredded coconut |
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