The Perfect Macaroon
I looooove coconut macaroons. I never really understood the french macaron craze, but I am all over traditional coconut macaroons. These moist cookies are usually made with sweetened shredded coconut, egg whites, vanilla and sometimes sweetened condensed milk. I love the originals but wanted to come up with something a bit richer and more custard-like and less sweet. And more chew while we’re at it! After some tinkering and sampling and tinkering again I’ve managed to make Coconut Custard Macaroons that are crisp and carmelized on the outside and moist and rich on the inside. Not too sweet with just a hint of spice and salt. Great texture and not too dense. Heaven! I passed these out to some school moms at our mother-daughter pajama night last weekend and the baking enthusiasts raved about these.
Richer and Not Too Sweet
I started by adapting a recipe I had seen in Food 52’s inspiring Genius Desserts that included the egg yolk and tossed in a stick of melted butter because BUTTER. I substituted two thirds of the sweetened coconut with unsweetened and decided to use flaked instead of shredded for a bit more texture and chew. You could probably use any proportion of sweetened and unsweetened coconut, but I liked these amounts because it was one bag of store-brand organic unsweetened coconut and one bag of store-brand sweetened coconut. My experiences on the path of least resistance often help me make baking decisions. I also tweaked it with some vanilla bean paste, cardamom and some flaky smoked salt (optional). You can also add some sprinkles if you want them to be extra spring-y.
I learned a few things while experimenting with these gems. These are not a make-ahead cookie. Many of my most popular recipes (I’m looking at you Chewy Chocolate Espresso Cookies) are beloved because they can be made ahead, store well, freeze well and ship well. With these Coconut Custard Macaroons, the moisture on the inside will migrate over time into the crispy exterior making it moist too. They are still delicious after a day or so, but they aren’t magical. To really experience what I experienced (I made five batches!) you should plan to make them the day you are going to serve them and leave them on a wire rack or uncovered until you do. I experimented with reviving the crisp outside out a bit in a lower oven and it did help, but these are sort of like fresh-baked bread. You can toast them or warm them up but there’s nothing quite like the high of a bite right out of the oven.
But don’t worry, these come together so quickly they won’t be stressful to make the day you need them. Just toss everything in a bowl and stir. If I’m feeling like an overachiever I might mix all the wet ingredients together first then add them into the coconut so that it’s easier to mix up but that’s just showing off. If you bake both sheets at once you could take out your ingredients to get started and be popping one in your mouth less than 30 minutes later. Near instant gratification.
The Right Scoop For Coconut Custard Macaroons
For this recipe I used a #40 cookie scoop but you can really use any size, just watch your baking times and don’t let them scorch if you go smaller. If you’re curious about cookie scoop sizes check out my detailed, completely bonkers post about cookie scoop conversions here. And don’t worry about making perfect little scoops. The straggly bits around the edges, get so crisp and yummy, you’ll be happy they’re imperfect. I got so distracted by the freshly baked macaroons that we ate some before counting how much the recipe would make (this happened five times!) but my best guess is two dozen with the #40 scoop. I’ll try to use some self-control next time or count them as I out them into the oven.
When it came time for sprinkles I used these India Tree ones that were given to me. I like them because the colors are subdued and because they are made with natural colors they don’t have a bitter aftertaste. I actually liked the little crunch they gave the interior of the cookie. Plus they’re certified kosher if you’re making them for Passover. I didn’t measure how many I put in. I advise just to keep adding them until it feels like there’s a party in your bowl and everyone’s invited. I also sprinkled a few on top to make them more photogenic, I think it worked!
More Spring Baking From Bakers Brigade:
Spring Woodland Cake with Edible Moss
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 30 minutes |
| Servings |
cookies
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- 4 cups unsweetened flaked coconut
- 2 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
- 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract if you prefer
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked maldon salt or any flaky salt, this is optional
- confetti sprinkles to taste
Ingredients
|
|
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
- Mix together the sweetened and unsweetened coconut in a large bowl. Add the sweetened condensed milk, melted butter, egg, vanilla bean paste, salt and cardamom and stir until well mixed. Add confetti sprinkles to taste if using and stir again. Top each cookie with a few extra sprinkles.
- Using a #40 cookie scoop, or a heaping tablespoon, scoop the mixture onto the tray leaving an inch or so between each cookie. I usually get 12-15 on a baking sheet. Bake for 14 minutes. If you're making them smaller, adjust the baking time down accordingly. If you're baking both sheets at once, be sure to rotate the sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through the bake.
- Leave the cookies to set on the sheet for 5 minutes and then remove to a wire cooling rack. Let them cool completely before storing. Leave the lid cracked a bit while storing to keep them crisp. If they do get soggy, you can bake them in a 350 degree oven for 5-10 minutes, watching them carefully so they don't scorch.
