Golden Coconut Macaroons Food

COCONUT MACAROONS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F. Set two oven racks near the center of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the coconut, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract. Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and salt until stiff peaks form. Use a large rubber spatula to fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.
• Using a mini ice cream scoop or two spoons, form heaping tablespoons of the mixture into mounds on the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart. Bake for 23 to 25 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back, until the tops and edges are golden. Let cool on the pans for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• If dipping the macaroons in chocolate, melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl at medium power, stopping and stirring at 30 second intervals, until just smooth and creamy. (Alternatively, melt the chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water.) Dip the bottoms of the macaroons in the chocolate, letting any excess drip back into the bowl, and return to the lined baking sheets. Place the macaroons in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to allow the chocolate to set. The cookies keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for about a week.
• Note: There is a lot of variability in coconut depending on the brand you purchase. For the best results, I recommend Baker's Angel Flake (see package in the first picture on this page).
• Note: ⅞ cup = ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons
• Note: Make sure to use parchment paper (NOT wax paper) on the baking sheets. The macaroons will stick to wax paper.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The macaroons can be frozen for up to 3 months. (If you plan to dip them in chocolate, wait until you thaw them to do that.) Let them cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature.

BASIC COCONUT MACAROONS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the egg whites, sugar, salt and vanilla in a large bowl until combined; fold in the coconut.
• Scoop heaping tablespoonfuls of the coconut mixture about 1 inch apart onto the baking sheet. Use your fingers to form into pyramids. Bake until golden brown around the edges, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

COCONUT MACAROONS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. 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 1 3/4-inch diameter ice cream scoop, or 2 teaspoons. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and serve.

COCONUT MACAROONS

Steps:

• Whisk 2/3 cup granulated sugar, 2 beaten egg whites, 2 teaspoons vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir in 2 2/3 cups unsweetened shredded coconut. Drop by tablespoonfuls, then form into pyramids with your fingers and bake 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

TOASTED COCONUT GILDED MACARONS

Steps:

• For the macaron shells: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Using a 1 3/4-inch round cutter as a guide, draw 15 evenly spaced circles on each of two sheets of parchment paper (for a total of 30 circles). Flip the parchment over and line 2 baking sheets with the parchment paper.
• Whisk together the confectioners' sugar, almond flour and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
• Put the egg whites and cream of tartar in the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is opaque and foamy, about 30 seconds. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and continue to beat until the egg whites are white in color and hold the lines of the whisk, about 1 minute. Continue to beat while slowly adding the granulated sugar, then the vanilla, until the peaks are stiff and the whites are shiny, about 1 minute more. (Do not overbeat.) Transfer the meringue to a large bowl.
• Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the dry mixture into the meringue, using 60 to 75 strokes (the batter should fold back on itself). Just before you are finished folding, add some red gel food coloring to the batter and continue to fold until the color is even and the desired consistency is reached. Spoon half the batter into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip. Pipe the batter onto the parchment using the circles as a guide, refilling the bag as necessary. Tap the baking sheet hard on a table to flatten the batter out, then let sit at room temperature until the tops are no longer sticky when you lightly touch them, at least 20 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter on the second lined baking sheet.
• Bake the cookies 1 sheet at a time, rotating the baking sheet once halfway through baking, until they have formed a 'foot' along the base and the tops are smooth and dry looking, about 14 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheets. (Leave the oven on.)
• For the filling: Place the coconut on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 2 minutes. Stir the coconut, then bake for an additional 2 minutes. Stir again and bake for another 2 minutes. Continue in the same manner, keeping an eye on it because it can go from toasted to burned very quickly, until the coconut is toasted to a medium-brown color, about 6 minutes more. Let cool completely.
• Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling the pan a few times, until bubbles start to form around the edge of the pan but the cream is not yet boiling, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate in a bowl. Let sit for 30 seconds, then slowly whisk the mixture until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Fold in the toasted coconut. Let the ganache cool to room temperature.
• Place the ganache in a disposable pastry bag. Snip about 1/3-inch from the tip and pipe about 1 tablespoon onto the flat side of a macaron shell. Place a second shell on top, pressing very gently to sandwich the filling. Repeat with the remaining macaron shells and filling.
• To decorate: Place a gold leaf sheet face-down on a macaron shell, handling the gold leaf very gently, and rub gently with your finger or a brush so that the gold leaf separates from its baking paper and adheres to the macaron shell. Repeat with the remaining macarons.

COCONUT MACAROONS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. (We prefer the silicone for the crispy edges and caramelization that occurs with these cookies.)
• Lightly whisk the egg and egg white in a medium bowl until a bit frothy. Whisk in the rum and vanilla. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the coconut.
• Using about 2 tablespoons per macaroon, mound the mixture on the baking sheet, leaving some space in between each one. Bake until the edges are golden and crispy, about 10 minutes. Cool, then use a small offset spatula to remove them from the baking sheet. The macaroons will keep in an airtight container for 5 days.
• Photo by Scott Suchman

GOLDEN COCONUT MACAROONS

Steps:

• Set racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. In the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, pulse the coconut about 6 or 8 times at 1-second intervals to chop, not grind, it.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the salt until they are combined. Whisk in the sugar in a stream, then the vanilla. Fold in the coconut. Drop rounded teaspoons of the macaroons onto the prepared pans. Leave about 2 inches all around between each. Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes, or until macaroons are a deep golden color and still soft within. Slide the papers from the pans to racks. Store the cooled macaroons between sheets of parchment or waxed paper in a tin or plastic container with a tight-fitting cover.

COCONUT & CHOCOLATE MACAROONS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff then gradually add the sugar, whisking continuously until thick and glossy. Sift in the flour, then fold into the egg whites with the coconut until completely combined.
• Using an 8cm pastry cutter, squash spoonfuls of the mixture onto a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper or silicone plastic sheets - you may need to do this in two batches. Bake for 15-18 mins until golden around the edges and just starting to brown on top. Leave to cool, then transfer to a rack.
• While the macaroons are cooling, melt the chocolate in a microwave or over a pan of hot water and leave to cool slightly. Cover the smooth side with chocolate and leave to set in the fridge. The macaroons will keep in an airtight container for 2 days.

COCONUT MACAROONS

Steps:

• Whisk together the egg whites and caster sugar in a large bowl for 2-3 mins until light and frothy, and the sugar has dissolved. Add the coconut, a pinch of salt and the vanilla, then stir until combined. Leave to stand for 10 mins.
• Heat the oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3½. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Scoop teaspoonfuls of the mixture and roll into compact balls, then arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 mins until golden.
• Leave on the baking sheet to cool completely. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water, or in short 20-second bursts in the microwave. Tip the melted chocolate into a small bowl, then dip the bottom of each cooled macaroon into the chocolate and wipe off any excess. Arrange on a sheet of baking parchment, chocolate-side up, then put in the fridge for 20 mins, or until set. You can use any remaining melted chocolate to pipe in zigzags over the top, if you like, then leave to set.