Last night I tried out the coconut macaroon recipe that was recently in the NYT, and it’s a winner! The macaroons are delicious and the recipe is super easy. I used almond flour instead of all-purpose. I also cut down on the sugar, because I added more sweetened shredded coconut than unsweetened (it’s what I had available). I may use zest next week when I remake them instead of vanilla. I did put them under the broiler at the end of baking to crisp and brown the top a bit. Recipe is below, if you don’t have access to NYT cooking.
Coconut Macaroons
About 18 macaroons
3 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup/151 grams granulated sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon melted virgin coconut oil or neutral oil, like safflower or grapeseed
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean (see Tips)
1 1/2 cups/128 grams sweetened flaked coconut (see Tips)
1 1/2 cups/128 grams shredded unsweetened coconut
2 tablespoons coconut flour, matzo cake meal or all-purpose flour (see Tips)
4 ounces/113.5 grams bittersweet chocolate, chopped
Flaky salt, for sprinkling (optional)
PREPARATION
Position racks in the top and bottom of the oven and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk egg whites, salt and sugar until creamy, thick and white. Whisk in 1 tablespoon of the oil and the vanilla.
Fold in the flaked and shredded coconut and the flour, mixing well so the coconut is evenly moistened. At this point, the macaroons can be baked, but you can also refrigerate the mixture in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Use a small 1-ounce cookie scoop to portion the coconut mixture (about 2 tablespoons per macaroon) and squeeze together in a ball. Space a few inches apart on the prepared sheets and rough up the texture a little with your fingers.
Bake, switching the pans from back to front and top to bottom, until golden on the bottom and toasty all over, 16 to 21 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer the macaroons to a cooling rack close together. Set the rack over one of the baking sheets (keep the parchment on) to catch chocolate drips during drizzling. Cool the macaroons completely.
Melt the chocolate with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon oil in a small saucepan over low heat and stir well. Drizzle the macaroons with the chocolate. Let the chocolate set a little in a cool place or in the refrigerator before topping with flaky salt. The macaroons can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 1 month.
Tips
If making these for Passover, use vanilla bean instead of extract. If you don’t have vanilla bean, you can also use lemon, orange or lime zest to flavor the macaroons. Don’t use vanilla extract for Passover.
If you can’t find sweetened coconut that is Kosher for Passover, use only unsweetened coconut (3 cups total) and add 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons total).
Also, don’t use all-purpose flour for Passover. Coconut flour is fine if it’s kosher for Passover.