Candied Cherry Macaroons Food

COCONUT MACAROONS WITH CANDIED CHERRIES

Steps:

• About 30 minutes before making macaroons, place an egg separator over a small bowl. Crack each egg over the egg separator to separate the yolks from the whites. (Save egg yolks for another recipe.)
• In a clean large bowl, place the egg whites, and let stand at room temperature up to 30 minutes.*
• Heat the oven to 300°F. Line cookie sheets with a sheet of foil or cooking parchment paper.
• Add the cream of tartar and salt to the egg whites. Beat with an electric mixer on high speed until foamy. Beat in the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time; continue beating until stiff and glossy--do not underbeat. Pour into a medium bowl.
• Sprinkle the almond extract and coconut over egg white mixture. With a rubber spatula, cut down vertically through the batter, then slide the spatula across the bottom of the bowl and up the side, turning the batter over. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn, and repeat this down-across-up motion. Continue folding just until ingredients are blended.
• For each cookie, scoop a teaspoonful of dough, using a tableware spoon, and push it onto a lined cookie sheet with another spoon or rubber spatula, placing cookies 1 inch apart. Place 1 cherry piece on each cookie.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or just until edges are light brown. Cool on cookie sheets 10 minutes, then remove cookies from foil to a cooling rack, using a turner. Cool cookie sheets 10 minutes between batches.

STAINED GLASS CHERRY MACAROONS

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes., Preheat oven to 325°. Add vanilla and salt to egg whites; beat on medium speed until foamy. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high after each addition until sugar is dissolved. Continue beating until stiff glossy peaks form. In another bowl, combine coconut, cherries and flour; stir into egg white mixture., Drop by tablespoonfuls 1 in. apart onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake 14-16 minutes or until edges are golden. Cool on pans 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool. Store in an airtight container.

COCONUT MACAROONS WITH A CHERRY TOP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°. Line baking trays with parchment paper.
• Place coconut in a large zip lock bag. Toss in 2 T. maraschino cherry juice and shake until coconut is pink. Set aside.
• Cut 18 maraschino cherries in half. Drain on paper towels. Set aside.
• Using a mixer, beat egg whites and salt at high speed until soft peaks form.
• Sprinkle sugar in, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition until sugar is completely dissolved (allow 2 minutes after each addition of sugar). Whites should be in stiff glossy peaks when you're done.
• Beat in vanilla. With a rubber spatula, fold in coconut and flour.
• Drop coconut by rounded teaspoon about an inch apart onto the prepared baking sheets. They won't spread very much at all. Place a half cherry on top of each cookie.
• Bake at 300° for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Slide parchment paper and cookies directly onto a rack to cool.
• Store in tightly covered container for up to 3 days.
• Makes 36 cookies.