Coconut Macaroons

Truth #1:  I have tried making coconut macaroons a few times in my life, and I was always disappointed...very disappointed.  I concluded that one needed some culinary school experience to discover the magic of the macaroon.

Truth #2:  I have never liked the taste of coconut.  Not in a Mounds Bar, not in coconut icing sprinkled with the sweetened shreds, and not even in the current coconut water trend.  I dropped this anti-coconut bomb gently in my Once-baked Biscotti recipe which, oddly enough, has coconut.

But,  I was drawn to this recipe because these macaroons are just too cute!  And I know a lot of coconut lovers. And sometimes you must do the thing you think you cannot do.

Truth #3:  These Coconut Macaroons are sweet and chewy, just like you remember as a child (at the beach, on the boardwalk).  They are easy to throw together at the last minute, have a lovely color (due to using whole eggs, not just whites), they freeze well, and...they are fancy schmancy looking!

Coconut Macaroons
(adapted slightly from here)
Yield: 30 small (two-bite)

2 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract
3 cups sweetened shredded coconut

Directions

1.  Preheat the oven to 350º F.
2.  Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper, a silpat, or butter the sheet directly.
3.  In a large mixing bowl whisk together the eggs sugar, salt, and extract.  Add the coconut and blend with a fork or spatula (otherwise the whisk gets clogged with the mix).

4.  Drop by tablespoon-size dollops onto the baking sheet.  They do not spread while baking so an inch between cookies is fine.  Use the side of a knife to tidy up coconut pieces that might fall off when placing on the cookie sheet.  The batter is sticky, so repair is very easy.

5.  Bake the cookies for about 10-12 minutes, turning midway to even out the golden color of the edges.  I use a convection oven which bakes more quickly.  Adjust the time to your oven.
6.  When the macaroons are golden brown with crispy edges, remove them from the oven and place on a rack to cool.
 

P.S.  After cooling, you could add a chocolate foot to make them taste just like a Mounds bar (follow the directions in the Once-baked Biscotti recipe).

Let me know what you think of these little gems!