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.

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

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.

From Joy of Baking