Bake 52: Coconut Macaroons

 This week's recipe was for Coconut Macaroons. One of my favorite candy bars is Mounds, so I was pretty sure I would love these cookies. Plus, they are really quick to mix up and don't require many ingredients. 

I got part-way through the recipe before I remembered I was meant to be documenting each step as I went. I just can't get used to taking pictures as I cook! So, each step is not exactly fully documented. Oops.

The ingredients: Coconut, eggs, sugar, salt, almond extract!

What's missing from the eggs below? Their whites! Those are the things that went into the mix before I remembered to take a picture.

Separated egg yolks. I'm using these for a custard recipe.

The mixture of coconut and egg whites ready for the fridge.

Here's the point in the recipe when I realized that I had taken a couple of shortcuts that might lead to my cookies' downfall. First of all, I don't have a full-sized food processor, just a tiny one that holds one cup at a time.  I got impatient and probably didn't pulse my coconut as finely as I should have.

Also, the recipe calls for 20 oz. of coconut. The package came in 14 oz. I was too lazy to open another package for just another 1/2 cup of coconut. That would have been fine, except that I didn't remember to leave out some of the egg white. That left my dough on the liquidy side, as you can see below.

See the egg white puddles in the bottom of my bowl?

 I went ahead and formed my haystacks even though the dough didn't hold together the way I imagine it would have with finer coconut and correct proportions.

Into the oven they went. They were rotated partway through and browned up beautifully. 

I tested out the bake time. One batch I took out at 13 minutes. The other I left in for 15 minutes. Can you tell which is which? We preferred the 13 minute cookies.

Macaroons in for 15 minutes.

Macaroons in for 13 minutes.

 I wanted to do the chocolate dipped version because they would be more Mounds-like that way. Somehow we have misplaced the enormous bag of chocolate chips we bought at Costco before our move. Not sure how that happened. 

The cookies were a hit just as they are, though. The flavor was really good, but the texture of mine could have been better. Next time there will be finer coconut, correct proportions, and chocolate! These might become one of my quick go-to cookie recipes.

 Here's the recipe:

Coconut Macaroons

Makes about 24 cookies

Be sure to grease the parchment paper or these cookies will stick. Some brands of coconut are shredded finer than others; if your coconut is finely shredded, pulse it just one or twice in step 1.

5 cups (20 oz.) sweetened shredded coconut

6 large egg whites

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1. Pulse the coconut in a food processor until fine, 1 to 4 pulses, and transfer to a large bowl. Process the egg whites, sugar, salt, and almond extract together in the food processor until light and foamy, about 15 seconds. Stir the egg mixture into the chopped coconut until combined. Wrap the bowl in plastic wrap and refrigerate until the mixture is thick, about 30 minutes.

Note: The bowl of macaroon cookie dough can be wrapped tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 2 days; let soften at room temperature, then portion and bake as directed.

2. Adjust the oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper and grease the paper. Using wet hands, roll 1 Tablespoon of the mixture at a time into balls and lay them on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about 1 inch apart.

3. Bake the macaroons until light golden brown, 13 to 15 minutes, switching and rotating the baking sheets halfway through baking.

4. Let the macaroons cool completely on the baking sheets before serving, about 1 hour.

Variation: Chocolate-dipped coconut macaroons

In step 2, drop heaping Tablespoons of the batter onto the prepared baking sheets. Form the cookies into loose haystacks with your fingertips, moistening your hands with water if necessary to prevent sticking. After the macaroons have cooled completely, melt 6 ounces semisweet chocolate in the microwave, stirring often, 1 to 3 minutes. Dip each macaroon into the melted chocolate to coat, letting the excess drip back into the bowl, then lay it on a clean sheet of parchment paper, let cool at room temperature until the chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.