Lulu & Phoebe’s Coconut Macaroons - Want Some? (2008)

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 Lulu and Pheobe's Coconut Haystack Macaroons

 Macaroons are wonderful treat if you love coconut.  If they are made well, it is like biting into a wonderful pillow of coconut goodness, toasty on the outside and chewy, slightly sweet on the inside. 
 One recipe is dairy free and the other is full of lots of butter, but both are gluten free just because most macaroons are gluten free.  Everyone who loves coconut, loves a good macaroon.  And everyone loves a chocolate covered macaroon even more.
 First, gather the ingredients for both variations (see photo).

cast of characters for macaroons

 Variation One:  Haystack Coconut Macaroon

A Lulu and Phoebe creation.
Makes about a dozen giant haystack macaroons or 24 small macaroons. 
 Equipment: 
One baking sheet, parchment or silpat to fit.  A large bowl and wooden spoon.  A small ice cream scoop.  Cup of water (no, not to drink).  Measuring cups, spoons, or a scale. Small saucepan and metal bowl for melting chocolate.  A fork for drizzling chocolate.

 Ingredients

• 9 oz. or about 3 generous cups of coconut:  made up of a mix of sweetened coconut flakes and unsweetened coconut flakes blended together with a spoon
•  scant ¾ cup of white sugar (less if you like them less sweet, and more if you crave sugar)
•  4 large eggs, whites only (save the yolks for pudding)
•  pinch of salt
•  2 teaspoons of pure good quality vanilla
•  ½ teaspoon pure almond extract
•  4 oz. of bittersweet chocolate for melting.
•  optional additions: 

1 teaspoon grated lemon or orange peel

¼ cup candied fruit or peel chopped finely

½ cup mini chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Prepare one baking sheet with parchment or a silpat.
Drop the egg whites into the large bowl and whisk gently for less than one minute until lightly frothed.  Add the vanilla, almond flavorings, the salt, and the sugar.  Whisk again until fully incorporated.  Add the coconut all at once and stir with a wooden spoon until thoroughly mixed  (see photo). 

hand mixing takes just a minute or two

 It will look very wet and gooey.  Now take your scoop (or two tablespoons) and scoop up an under filled scoop and drop on the cookie sheet.  These don’t spread so they can be very close together (see photo).  Fill the cookie sheet with mounds of coconut dough.  When you are finished, dip your clean fingers into the cup of water and gently form the mounds into haystacks (see photo).

scooping the haystacks onto the baking sheet

shaping the haystacks with your fingers

 Here is the trick to these guys.  After they are formed into haystacks and ready to go, leave them alone for about 30 minutes.  Don’t touch them.  After 30 minutes you can place them in the oven.  They need to dry out some first and they turn out way better.  French bakers always leave a variety of macaroons to sit before baking.  You want the egg whites to dry a bit.
 Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes until lightly golden.  Turn the cookie sheet halfway through for even browning.  If you like the coconut very toasty, leave them in a bit longer, but keep an eye on them.  If you like them just pale, check them at 20 minutes and don’t let them go past your favorite golden color. 
 Leave them on the cookie sheet to cool for about 10 minutes, then remove to a rack or at least peel them from the parchment or silpat.  Macaroons tend to stick.  They peel over these surfaces easily but don’t try making them without parchment or a silpat. 

haystacks right out of the oven

 Once they are very cool, melt the chocolate over a water bath.  Take a small saucepan and simmer a bit of water in it and place a larger bowl on it without it touching the water and drop the chocolate into the bowl.  You can turn off the heat when the chocolate starts to melt.  Stir.  When totally melted, take a fork and drizzle (see photo) the chocolate over the macaroons using as much or as little chocolate as you like.

a chocolate drizzle midair

  Let the chocolate harden and then serve.  If you can wait that long.
 Notes:
Using a mixture of sweetened and unsweetened coconut helps balance the over sweetness of the commercial sweetened coconut available in the grocery.  Most stores now sell organic unsweetened coconut.  Measure or weigh and then mix together in a bowl before using for best results.  It takes a few minutes to incorporate them together so be patient.  If you like, use a food processor to chop them together, which will result in a finer grind. 
 These haystack macaroons are naturally gluten free.  They can be made smaller – just adjust the cooking time until you are familiar with the outcome you want.  The chocolate drizzle can be left off if you like. 
 Keep them in a tin for the best result.  The macaroons should last several days.  The trick to working with them with your fingers is to keep your fingers wet.  And the drying time is important.  Don’t forget to leave them alone for at least 30 minutes before baking.  They will try to stick to the silpat or parchment so peel them off as soon as they are not hot to the touch. 

 afternoon tea and macaroons

Variation Two:  Citrus Coconut Macaroons

Makes about 36 larger macaroons or 45 small macaroons
Adapted from Bon Appetite, Dec 2008.  This one has loads of butter and it tastes great. 
 Orange Coconut Macaroons with Chocolate
 Equipment:
2 baking sheets lined with parchment or silpats.  A stand mixer with paddle attachment or a large bowl and an electric hand mixer.  Measuring cups and spoons, ice cream scoop.  A small saucepan and a metal bowl for melting chocolate.  A fork for drizzling.

 Ingredients

• 1 stick butter softened
• scant ¾ cup white sugar
• splash of vanilla
• pinch of salt
• 1.5 teaspoons of grated orange peel
• splash of orange juice
• 4 whole large eggs
• 25 oz. or 7 cups unsweetened and sweetened coconut mixed together thoroughly (see notes above)
• 8 oz. dark or bittersweet chocolate melted

• optional variations:

                  ½ cup mini chocolate chips
                  ½ cup diced dried or crystallized fruit
                  splash of orange liquor or other flavoring

 Directions

Prepare 2 baking sheets with parchment or silpats.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
 In a mixer bowl with a paddle attachment (or a hand held mixer) mix the butter and sugar until light and creamy about 2 minutes.  (see photo) Add the eggs one at a time.  Then add in the orange peel, the vanilla, any other flavoring, and the pinch of salt.  Stir in the coconut by hand with a wooden spoon just until incorporated.

all the ingredients mixed together

 Using an ice cream scoop drop by oversized tablespoonfuls onto the cookie sheet about 1 inch apart.  You can crowd them because they do not spread much at all.  Bake about 20 minutes until your favorite shade of golden.  If you like coconut toasty brown leave them in for about 25 minutes.  If you enjoy it a little more golden color, 20 minutes.  Keep checking.  Cool completely.

scooping the gooey mixure

 

 

in the oven

 Melt the chocolate over a water bath (see photo).  Using a small saucepan fill partially with water and simmer, adding a larger bowl on top.  Melt the chocolate in the bowl and turn off the heat when almost fully melted.  Drizzle the melted chocolate over the macaroons quickly and let set.  Enjoy!

 

chocolate gently melting over a water bath

 

lined up and ready for chocolate drizzling

chocolate drizzling is fun

 Notes:
These macaroons don’t need water to work with because of the butter.  Just shape them into gentle haystack shapes or leave them free form.  Again, these can be made smaller with some adjustment to the baking time.  And store these in a tin rather than plastic. 
 Happy yet?

espresso and macaroons