Chocolate Coconut Macaroons

Macaroons – Ah! How the French have improved our lives by introducing these little pieces of delight. Except I don’t know how to make them to save my life! I haven’t tried, but it just looks so intimidating I haven’t bothered entering that territory.

What I have tried, are Coconut Macaroons 🙂 It was only until very recently ( a few years ago) that I tasted the real Coconut Macaroons. I grew up having Coconut Macaroons from the neighborhood bakery, they were pink in colour, sweet and hard as a rock! As a kid the only thing I can recall that was delicious about it was the sugar dose. Beyond that, I didn’t go close to those things. Disaster! As an adult, now I think, Gross!!!

It was such a pleasure to wipe those rock pink macaroon memories from my mind as I baked these little babies. These are crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside. The coconut provides the texture and it’s important to use sweetened coconut and not desiccated. I’ve made Macaroons with desiccated Coconut as well, and it didn’t work out.

I wanted to add a touch of chocolate, so I dipped half the macaroons in melted chocolate and let it set. This way you don’t need to make separate batches for Chocolate Coconut Macaroons and Coconut Macaroons and you get to enjoy both in two bites.

Ingredients

1 packet of sweetened coconut ( 395g)

1 can condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 C flour

2 egg whites

pinch of salt

75g Chocolate

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 180 C/ 325 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
Combine the coconut, condensed milk, vanilla extract and salt
Add the flour and mix through
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until it forms peaks, it should’t be completely firm
Fold the egg whites in 3 batches into the coconut mixture
Take a mini ice cream scoop and scoop the batter into balls and place on the lined baking tray
Bake for 20-25 mins, or until the peaks of the macaroons start turning a golden brown
Let the macaroons cool completely. Once cool, melt the chocolate and dip half the macaroons into the chocolate, line back on parchment paper and let it set for 20 mins in the freezer