In my opinion, this unfussy, all too often overshadowed and mistakenly dubbed ugly stepsister of the macron has been snubbed for far too long, and the sentiment that it reigns inferior to the sandwich cookie it’s usually compared to is tired and is in serious need of some progressive appreciation- can we all try to give the coconut macaroon a chance? Particularly this one, which is inspired by one of my favorite bakers, Claire Ptak, from her gorgeous book.
I like to think the rustic, caramelized crisps and wisps of the coconut make for the most whimsical of bites, and as I do with everything, flowers were added only to accentuate the innate golden beauty. Considering most sad representations available in the packaged, gluten-free dead zones of the grocery are literally pale in comparison, I initially feared they were over-baked—but trust me, living on the edge between 18-20 minutes in the oven till adequate gilding is achieved is worth the stress of possibly scorched bottoms.
If you like to embellish any good basic recipe as do I, I’m sure you could toss in some dried fruits (I’m trying grapefruit zest, hibiscus or cherries next), and some other nuts and seeds, maybe chocolate for some flair. But they need none of the above, since Claire’s recipe is a pure joy without.
I adjusted to add some rose water, petal infused honey, and slightly more whites to fluff up this batch. Wishing everyone a sweet week, hope to catch up here more often xx
Ingredients:
4 egg whites
250g/ 1 1/4 cups of sugar
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1 tbsp honey
200g/ 2 1/4 cups unsweetened, shredded coconut
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp rose water
2 tsp crushed dried rose petals
(see below for flavor variation ideas!!)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 F or 180 C.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Measure out all the ingredients into a medium-sized, sauce pan and place over a medium-low heat. Stir constantly.
The mixture becomes easier to stir as it warms. Reduce the heat to low and stir continuously until all the sugar has melted and the mixture starts to look like “rice pudding” as Claire mentions.
Keep stirring until the mixture thickens and begins to dry out, but keep watch and don’t allow the bottom to scorch.
I used a 1 tbsp cookie scoop, but you can use any spoon to scoop individual round portions of the mixture on to the lined baking tray.
You could get fancy here and create “coconut pyramids” which also look quite dashing compared to the round puff, but whichever- leave enough space between each one so they have room to expand.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the macaroons are puffed and golden. I found just under 20 was ideal, and It depends on how crisp or crunchy you want them.
A softer macaroon will require less time, but in my humble opinion the golden crisp is the goal.
Allow them to cool completely before serving or storing. These will keep well for up to 1 week in an airtight container.
Ideas for variations:
Use pomegranate molasses, date syrup, barley syrup, any of your favorites in place of honey
Dip them in chocolate
Add crushed nuts or seeds, dried fruits- here are some flavors I’d love to try:
Orange blossom pistachio
Grapefruit zest and white chocolate
Apricots and hibiscus
Dark chocolate, cherries, berries
Strawberries and clementine zest
Pomegranate, tahini, white choc
Macadamia and lime zest, white chocolate
Candied ginger and apricot
Candied sesame and dates
Fennel, cherries ….
Pick a aromatic, a dried fruit and or nut, maybe some choc… we could drag on for ever here through the seasons!
Sandwich between jam or chocolate, maybe some tahini chocolate ganache!
