We really like macaroons. These egg white-based cookies come in such interesting varieties—vanilla, chocolate, and cherry for starters. Most of us think of coconut when we think of macaroons but we’ve seen macaroons with no nuts at all and some with almonds, pecans, and even pine nuts. And they come with textures from crisp to chewy.Here is a recipe for a very light and airy macaroon, almost like a confection.
This is a very quick and easy recipe. The recipe requires only a few ingredients, and a few steps.
Ingredients
4 egg whites (you should have a half cup)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups sweetened and flaked coconut (five ounces if you are using a scale)
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. If you do not have parchment paper, use aluminum foil.Directions
2. With an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they turn white and begin to form soft peaks.
3. Add the sugar and extracts. Beat until the mixture turns glossy and the egg whites are very stiff as you would for meringue. Mix in the coconut.
4. Place teaspoon sized scoops on the pan. Do not make the cookies too large. Allow room for some expansion.
5. Bake for fifteen minutes or until the cookies turn blond-brown. Slide the parchment sheets off the pan onto a wire rack for cooling. After several minutes, gently pull the cookies from the paper. (If the cookies are under baked, they will tend to stick to the paper. If they are over baked, they will be dry.)
