A cookie recipe that’s sure to brighten your day.
Delectable toasted coconut macaroons, like the ones we had after our hamman in Fès, Morocco
Springtime weather in Chicago can be wildly unpredictable at best. Sure, you made it through winter, but March often throws a combination of wind, rain and, more than occasionally, snow our way. Days can vary from sunny and warm to cold and rainy up until the end of May, before summer officially arrives.
Recently, on one of these blustery and chilly early spring days, I was humming “Holiday” by Madonna and daydreaming about a faraway rooftop bar with vibrant pink bougainvillea in bloom and the delicious, bite-size, toasty, golden coconut macaroons with soft chewy centers we were served at Palais Amani in Fès, Morocco.
This simple recipe, adapted from Ina Garten, is bound to make your day better. It always reminds me of the ones we enjoyed on a warm and sunny afternoon on our spa day in the historic medina. A perfect combination of toasted coconut, meringue-fluffy egg whites and sweetened condensed milk yield a dense and slightly tangy interior.
These confections are not to be confused with macarons, the meringue-based French cookie filled with buttercream, ganache or fruit curd.
Makes: 24 to 30 cookies
Active Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
It doesn’t take much to whip up a batch of these little balls of sunshine
Ingredients
- 14 ounces sweetened flaked coconut
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 extra-large egg whites at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Combine the coconut, condensed milk and vanilla in a large bowl.
Whip the egg whites and salt on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until they make medium-firm peaks.
Carefully fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.
Drop the batter onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper using either a 1¾-inch-diameter ice cream scoop or 2 teaspoons.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.
Go ahead — you deserve a little to time to relax, and if you fancy a cup of tea, might I suggest chamomile? –Duke
