These are a SOOO good!
Ingredients:- 6 egg whites
- 1 7 oz. tube of Almond Paste
- 14 oz. sweetened flaked coconut
- 8 oz. unsweetened finely grated coconut
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 1/3 cup extra fine granulated sugar
- chocolate (optional)
Directions:
- Preheat to oven to 325°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- With a mixer beat the egg whites until frothy and white. Add the vanilla and beat until egg whites hold a peak but are not stiff or dry. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the egg whites into another large bowl.
- Grate the almond paste using a box grater or food processor (this is easier when it is cold)
- In a separate bowl beat the grated Almond Paste and sugar until it has the texture of small crumbs. Add both kinds of coconut to the almond and sugar crumbs, and mix.
- Add coconut mixture to egg whites. Using a rubber spatula, fold together until all ingredients are mixed together. It will be moist and sticky.
- Chocolate can be added to the macaroons in many different ways, if desired. I like to chop milk and bittersweet chocolate chips in the food processor and add the chopped bits the mixture at this point.
- I like to use my hands to form balls of dough about 1" diameter 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. You need to firmly pack the coconut, but don’t squeeze TOO hard!
- Baking time depends a lot on cookie size and desired brownness. Generally I start with baking cookies for about 20 minutes, but I usually end up adding several minutes, in short increments to get the cookies to the look that I like.
- Place cookie sheets on wire racks to cool cookies. Allow the cookies to cool nearly completely before trying to move them.
- If you prefer to add chocolate as a decorative component, decorate with drizzles of melted chocolate once the cookies are completely cool. Store in cookie tins or plastic containers between layers of wax paper for one week.
The darker cookies on the right have chopped milk and bittersweet chocolate in them:
