Coconut Macaroons – Coconut Cookies

Today, I wanted to share an easy baking recipe that's also a slightly healthier version of a classic,  and that's coconut macaroons.

Ingredients:

Coconut macaroons are bite-sized treats with a crispy outside and a chewy inside, and they're traditionally made with sweetened condensed milk, which is just reduced milk with white sugar. So, it's really thick and sticky and dense.

It's sort of like Elmer's Glue for baking, but, because it is so dense, you then need to add in some whipped egg whites back into the coconut macaroons to lighten them back up. Well, we're ditching the sweetened condensed milk in today's recipe, which means it's 100% dairy-free. And it's also just naturally lighter and won't weigh you down, which means you can go back and grab that second coconut macaroon. You can enjoy the coconut macaroons plain in all of their coconut glory, or you can dip them in chocolate for a little extra holiday indulgence. No matter how you serve them up or enjoy them, they're delicious.

Cooking Directions:

So, let me show you how to make it.? To get started, preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, and then get your ingredients out. The great thing about this recipe is that it is super easy and only requires five ingredients, plus a little chocolate if you'd like to dip the coconut macaroons in chocolate. Crack two eggs and separate the yolk from the egg white. you'll need the egg whites for this recipe, and you can use the egg yolks in another recipe, like a custard aioli or my banana pudding recipe. And do be careful when you're separating the eggs and don't almost drop your yolk in, like I just about did. To sweeten up the macaroons and help bind them together, you’ll need a quarter cup of honey. As I mentioned on the intro, condensed milk is often used for this, but I find it to be unnecessary, and you'll notice this version is just lighter and airier, which I love. Next, add one teaspoon of vanilla extract and a quarter teaspoon of salt to the bowl, and move this over to your stove.

 

What you'll do next is create a double boiler, so, add about one to two inches of water to a pot and then bring that to a simmer. Once the water is simmering, place your mixing bowl on top, but making sure that the bottom of the mixing bowl doesn't touch the water, and then start whisking it. If the eggs heat too quickly, because the bowl is touching the water, you might end up with scrambled eggs, and you don't want that. Whisk this mixture for about five minutes or until the honey is fully dissolved, and it's a little frothy and warm to the touch. Then remove the bowl from the stove and remember that the glass will likely be a bit hot, so, make sure to use a kitchen towel or oven mitts. Add two cups of unsweetened shredded coconut flakes to the mixture and stir it altogether while it's still warm. The coconut should absorb all of the liquid from the bowl, and, if you see a little bit of liquid, just keep stirring until it's all absorbed.

 

 Line a baking tray with parchment paper, and I'm using a quarter baking sheet here, and then decide how big you want to make these macaroons. If you use a medium cookie scoop, which is the one on the left, you'll end up with about eight large macaroons, or you could use a small cookie scoop and get about 12 bite-sized macaroons. I'm using the medium-sized cookie scoop today, which is about 1 1/2 tablespoons worth. And, if you don't have a cookie scoop, you could just use a spoon to dollop the mixture, as well. I do compact the mixture just slightly in the cookie scoop with my finger to make sure that these stay together enough to be dipped in the chocolate. But, if you're not planning to dip, then you don't have to worry about that.

Place the baking tray in the oven and bake the macaroons for about 20 to 25 minutes for the larger size, or slightly less time if you opt for smaller. Because all ovens do cook slightly differently, I recommend watching them more closely after that 15-minute mark, and, when they're lightly golden, remove them from the oven. Now this is a really important step. Make sure to let them cool completely on the baking tray. Don't try to lift them off until they're completely cool, otherwise they will break apart. And, if you want to speed this up, you can place them in the fridge, as well. But before we dip these in the chocolate, I do want to clarify the difference between a macaroon and a macaron. These are macarons and, while the spelling is similar, they're entirely different cookies. Macarons are meringue based and shaped almost like a cookie sandwich with filling. I don't have a recipe for these yet, so, if you'd like me to make them in the future, let me know. Macaroons, as you've now seen, are coconut-based and shaped like dollops. They're traditionally denser on the inside and baked to a crispy golden brown. You can enjoy macaroons as simple coconut treats, or you can dip them in chocolate.

 To do that, melt about 1/3-cup of chocolate chips in a small bowl in the microwave in 20-second increments, and stir it until it's nice and smooth. Then pick up a coconut macaroon and dunk it in the chocolate. I like to just lightly coat the bottom of the macaroon and scrape off any excess on the side of the bowl, then place the macaroon back on the parchment. Once they're all back on the tray, I'll pop them in the fridge for a couple of minutes to allow the chocolate to firm up, then they're ready to serve. I should also mention that you can easily double or triple this recipe if you'd like to make a larger batch, and you can always store any leftovers in the fridge, though I highly doubt you'll have any leftovers.