Coconut Macaroons

Well in the midst of all of that Thanksgiving cheer, my hubby Mr. D had a birthday.  His most favorite flavors trend towards the tropical, so on his actual birthday I tried to spoil him with some chewy, sweet, coconut macaroons. 

If you are a fan of coconut, you will be a big fan of these coconut macaroons

I've tested a few recipes over the years but surprisingly, the easiest one turns out to be the best!  Not only that but it has very few ingredients. It doesn't even have flour (if you have a gluten concern).  You can thank my "friend" Ina Garten, (who as you might remember doubles as my imaginary neighbor in my dream world) for this recipe.  Preheat your oven to 325º and you will need:

1 bag (14 oz) sweetened coconut
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 extra large egg whites (room temperature)
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a mixing bowl, put the sweetened coconut flakes, the condensed milk, and the vanilla.

So few ingredients, but such a delicious cookie

She says to use the egg whites of 2 extra large eggs.  They must have very large hens over there in the Hamptons because my eggs were on the medium to small side, so I did three medium egg whites.  After separating the room temperature eggs, put them in the Kitchenaid mixer or with a hand mixer, add the salt, and start to blend.

Eggs, the greatest cooking invention ever

Whip on high for a few minutes and these will start to get white and fluffy.

getting fluffy

The whisk attachment is perfect for this, and you want to get this to "medium stiff peaks".  I was so excited when this puffed up pretty big and I then totally forgot to take a picture of the peaks.  The next step is to "fold" aka stir the fluffy egg mixture slowly into the heavier coconut/condensed milk mixture until they are combined.

Then, to be all food networky, I got my baking sheet, my silpat mat, and my pampered chef scoop and made perfect little scoops of dough onto the tray.  I'm sure wherever Ina Garten was in the world, she paused for a just moment and nodded her head in loving approval.

No-stick silpat mats are great for this type of cookie

Bake in the 325º oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden around the edges and the tops are slightly browned.

hot macaroons, right from the oven

Cool on a wire rack and serve!  This recipe made me about 30 ball sized macaroons.  

The hubby was so surprised when he came home.  The texture is very thick and chewy.

like a big ol' sweet lump of coconut

The condensed milk, (or is it the egg whites?), make this almost carmelized crispy edge that is my favorite part.  I would actually just go and eat the edges off of all the cookies on the plate if I was allowed.  This makes me believe I should probably try that other kind of macaron (the French kind) soon.  They are made with egg whites, almond flour, and are pretentious and tricky so that would be a great goal for a blog in the future.

coconut macaroons!

These go great still warm with a tall glass of milk or for another idea after they are cool, dip the bottom of the cookies in a bit of melted chocolate and let them harden up on some wax paper. These would be great for parties, gifts for neighbors or teachers, child care providers or even cookie exchanges.  I went above and beyond just these cookies and ended up making him homemade coconut ice cream with a pineapple syrup to pour over the top... AND I even toasted up some sweet coconut to sprinkle over the top.  I'll share those recipes soon!  By the way, Ina Garten's original printable recipe can be found here.