Macaroons

Top to bottom:
Flaked coconut with all-purpose flour
Chocolate with shredded coconut and Valrhona cocoa
Flaked coconut with almond flour

Coconut  and Chocolate

Macaroons (updated)

Adapted by Blue Heron Kitchen from David Lebovitz

This recipe is simple, doesn't need an electric mixer; and with your leftover yolks, you can make ice cream or, make a Breton! These lend themselves to any number of varieties and little twists. Make the batter in advance, refrigerate or freeze it!

These are meringue based (egg white, no milk) macaroons. I like them better than the sweetened condensed milk version. If you're a fan of those, click here! I used both flaked and shredded coconuts. Bob's Red Mill coconut is great. For cocoa and dipping, go for the gold: choose Valhrona cocoa and excellent chocolate too. However, if you like your chocolate macaroons very fudgey, don't go dutch, use Hershey's or Trader Joe's brand cocoa.

If using almond flour and want an almond flavor, add some almond extract with the vanilla. Almond extract is strong, so use a little less. You can substitute liqueur. I added Kirsch to mine while the batter cooked and then added vanilla after the batter came off the stove.

Add some liqueur to your melted chocolate for dipping. (Grand Marnier makes everything taste good.) A drop or two of coconut oil will add sheen and a little more coconut buzz to your melted chocolate (but only if you're not using "high end" chocolate. It'll dress up chocolate that isn't as "fine.") Don't bother to tamper with excellent chocolate. Valhrona offers a bittersweet/orange bar chocolate that could add a nice orange swing.

For my chocolate macaroons, I replaced the honey with Lyle's Golden Syrup. Its amber color didn't alter the color of the batter; and it rounded the chocolate umami.

If you're celebrating Passover (tonight's the second seder):

Go ahead, ask questions (more than four), ask the Knesset and Netanyahu why Israel is enslaving.

Here's to compassion, love and cooking.

Have a sweet spring.

peace and love,

jane

Macaroons

Ingredients:

4 large egg whites

1¼ cups sugar

¼ tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. honey or Lyle’s Golden Syrup

2½ cups unsweetened coconut (shredded or flaked)

¼ cup flour or almond flour (finely ground almonds)
optional: add 1 tsp. Kirsch (German cherry liqueur) while cooking the batter

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped (for dipping)

For chocolate macaroons:

remove 1 Tbsp. of the flour

add: 2-3 Tbsp. sifted, unsweetened cocoa powder (Valrhona or Guittard are best), to taste and chocolate-saturation preference.

Important: When making the chocolate variation, be careful to not ‘scorch’ the bottom. Cook this over lower than medium-low heat and be vigilant. Burn the chocolate and you’ll have maroroons (maror are the bitter herbs that are eaten during a Passover Seder to symbolize pain and suffering while Jews were enslaved in Egypt.)

Procedure:

In a large skillet, mix together the egg whites, sugar, salt, honey, coconut and flour (or almond flour) and optional Kirsch.

Heat over low-to-moderate heat on the stovetop, stirring constantly, scraping the bottom as you stir.

When the mixture just begins to scorch at the bottom, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Transfer to a bowl to cool to room temperature.

According to Lebovitz, the mixture can be chilled for up to one week, or frozen for up to two months. Nice.

When ready to bake, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat and preheat the oven to 350º F.

Form the dough into 1 1/2-inch mounds with your fingers. Truc: Don't pack down the batter. Using a light touch, form them into small conical mounds. If you pack them tightly, they won't caramelize and have this perfect coconut/caramelized/marshmallow/crunch/chew that when bitten into, the only comment will be, "you MADE these?". 

To prevent sticky fingers, have a finger-bowl of cool water and a towel nearby for a quick rinse. Space your macaroons evenly on the baking sheet. 

Bake for 18-20 minutes, until deep golden brown, transferring the sheets front to back and top to bottom, halfway through the bake.

Cool completely until removing from parchment (or you'll write to me that they fell apart.) These harden when they cool.

Don't dip in chocolate until they're completely cooled.

To dip the macaroons in chocolate, melt the chocolate in a clean, dry bowl set over a pan of simmering water (or in a microwave.) Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. (I love waxed paper.) Dip the bottoms of each cookie in the chocolate and set the cookies on the baking sheet. Refrigerate 5-10 minutes, until the chocolate is set. (You can dip the tops, but I prefer dipping the bottoms.)

Yield: approximately 2 1/2 dozen cookies