Email to Kathleen Tillman      

COCONUT MACAROONS

Source of Recipe

Chewy Cookies by Eileen Talanian


Recipe Introduction

"To my palate (and to those of my tasters, also) this is just about the perfect cookie: chewy on the inside, crunchy on the outside, sweet, but not too much so, and full of good coconut flavor. Be sure the coconut you use is moist and has not dried out, or your cookies will be dry instead of chewy." My darling friend Lisa said this is the best macaroon recipe she has ever tried....and Lisa knows her macaroons!

List of Ingredients

3 large egg whites at room temp
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 cups coconut, firmly packed (11 1/2 oz), sweetened or flaked
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour, preferably unbleached


Recipe

Preheat convection oven to 310 degrees or conventional oven to 325 degrees. Set the racks in the conventional oven so the oven is divided in thirds. Line the cookie sheets with parchment paper. If you are baking in a conventional oven, put one baking sheet inside another of the same size to make a double pan, or use insulated pans to protect the bottoms of the cookies.
Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment if possible, beat the egg whites on medium speed until thick and foamy, about 2 minutes. Slowly add the sugar with the mixer running and continue to mix for 1 minute after the sugar has all been added. Beat in the coconut on low speed until thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds. Sprinkle the flour over the dough and stir it in, using a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to be sure the dough is well mixed.
Drop the dough by rounded tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets and bake in a preheated oven, until lightly browned and set, about 24 to 26 minutes. Reverse the baking sheets and switch them top to bottom halfway through the baking time. Remove the macaroons from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets. When cool, transfer with metal spatula to a storage container or serving tray.
Store the completely cooled macaroons in an airtight container for up to 1 week, or freeze, wrapped tightly, for up to 2 months.