Coconut Macaroons

Currently, I’m experimenting with adding a bit of melted butter into the mix here. Obviously, you might want to skip it if making this for a seder, given that brisket is often the center of the seder meal. However, if your seder is meat/bird free, you could try adding a couple of tablespoons of melted butter. The results are heavenly.

Ingredients:
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
3 cups unsweetened dried coconut flakes
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup demerara sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

1. Place all the ingredients in a large heatproof mixing bowl (stainless steel is best) and set the bowl in a skillet with barely simmering water and stir the mixture with a wooden spoon, scraping the bottom to prevent burning. Stir for 5 to 7 minutes until the mixture is very hot to the touch and the egg whites have thickened a bit. They will turn from translucent to opaque. Set the egg white mixture aside for 30 minutes to thicken up more.

2. Preheat the oven to 350oF and place the racks in the upper and lower thirds in the oven. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

3. With two tablespoons, place the coconut mixture in neat heaps on the lined cookie sheets – 2 inches apart from one another. Bake for 3 minutes and rotate the sheets from front to back. Bake another 2 minutes, and switch the baking sheets from top to bottom and vice versa. Lower the temperature to 325oF and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the macaroons are a mix of cream and gold colors and the edges get slightly brown. Cool baking sheets on cooling racks and let cool completely before peeling away from the parchment paper.

4. Serve, preferably, on the day the macaroons are baked – they’re best day one. However, they’re still delicious for a few more days, though it’s doubtful they will last that long in any household that loves a macaroon.