11 April, 2019
Sweet Coconut Macaroons
Yields: About 2 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
1 package (14 ounces) Baker’s sweetened coconut flakes
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk minus ⅛ cup*
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
2 egg whites from extra large eggs, at room temperature
¼ teaspoon sea salt or pink Himalayan salt, coarsely ground
Optional:
4 ounces of semisweet or dark chocolate, melted
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 325°
In a large bowl, mix together the coconut, condensed milk and vanilla. Set aside.
In a small bowl, beat the egg whites and salt with a whisk or at high speed on an electric mixer until they make peaks, about 2 minutes.
Gently fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.
Using a 1 ¾ inch cookie scoop (about 2 teaspoons), drop the batter onto a parchment lined baking sheet, about 1 inch apart (they do not spread while baking).
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes:
I like to drizzle melted chocolate over the tops of the macaroons while they are cooling on the wire rack. Some people like to dip the bottom of each cookie into a small bowl of melted chocolate. Use any chocolate that you like or semisweet chips. I put the chocolate into a small Pyrex measuring cups with about a teaspoon of water in the microwave on the setting to melt butter. Stir once or twice while they are melting to avoid scorching on the sides of the cup.
For a festive touch, add a halved candied cherry to the top and center of each cookie before baking.
*Just discard the ⅛ cup condensed milk not needed for this recipe, or add it to your hot coffee or hot tea. I strongly recommend reducing the amount of condensed milk slightly and not using the entire can. The cookies will still be sweet and moist, and less likely to burn around the edges while baking.