Alice Medrich's New Classic Coconut Macaroons
Guess which one we went for. (p.s. What a punk rocker, this guy.)
(by Alice Medrich, that's who!)
Superstar ingredient: big fat coconut chips.
Best supporting binder: egg (whites).
Separate out the whites. Save the yolks for custard or something.
Looks like a lot of sugar raining down -- but it's only 3/4 of a cup, less than many macaroon recipes call for.
There's a healthy amount of vanilla in here -- 2 teaspoons -- but it buoys the coconut flavor beautifully.
Already, you're almost done!
Simmer just a bit of water in a wide skillet -- no more than an inch. (If your bowl ends up bobbing around in it, just pour some of the water out.)
The setup is double boiler-like, but this is actually a gentler means of cooking, says Medrich. Trust her.
As the sugar melts, the mixture first gets glossy and sticky.
Then the egg whites cook and it thickens and turns opaque -- done! Let it sit for 30 minutes off the heat to soften the coconut and "absorb the goop", as Medrich says.
30 minutes later, it's time to portion out macaroons. 2-tablespoon heaps work, as do 1-tablespoon heaps.
Medrich says to make fashion them into attractive piles, but it's hard to imagine them not looking attractive.
Take them out when they look like this! And (optionally), immediately nestle pieces of chocolate into the tops.
Take your pick.
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Author Notes: Alice Medrich, chocolatier and author of scads of baking cookbooks, is famously a little wild with her desserts. She developed this recipe not with the standard bag of sweetened, angel flake coconut in mind, but those wide, sloping unsweetened shavings, often called coconut chips and sold at health food stores nowadays. Naturally, Medrich offers two even more exotic upgrades: 1) Instead of painting a little chocolate shoe on the bottom of each macaroon, why not jam a piece of chocolate in each still-hot cookie and watch it melt? 2) For that matter, why not lace it with lime zest and shower it with cinnamon? Who are we to say that's not a macaroon? Adapted very slightly from Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich (Artisan, 2010) - Genius Recipes
Makes about 22 cookies
- 4 large egg whites
- 3 1/2 cups unsweetened dried flaked, not shredded, coconut (also known as coconut chips) or 3 cups sweetened, dried shredded coconut
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (available kosher for Passover, or can be omitted)
- Slightly rounded 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Combine all of the ingredients in a large heatproof mixing bowl, preferably stainless steel because the mixture will heat faster than in glass. Set the bowl directly in a wide skillet of barely simmering water (if your bowl bobs in the water, simply pour some out). Stir the mixture with a silicone spatula, scraping the bottom to prevent burning, until the mixture is very hot to the touch and the egg whites have thickened slightly and turned from translucent to opaque, 5 to 7 minutes. Set the batter aside for 30 minutes to let the coconut absorb more of the goop.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.
- Using 2 tablespoons of batter, make attractive heaps 2 inches apart on the lined cookie sheets. (You can also make these smaller and bake for less time, in 1-tablespoon heaps.) Bake for about 5 minutes, just until the coconut tips begin to color, rotating the pans from top to bottom and from front to back halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking.
- Lower the temperature to 325 degrees and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cookies are a beautiful cream and gold with deeper brown edges, again rotating the pans from top to bottom and from front to back halfway through the baking time. If the coconut tips are browning too fast, lower the heat to 300 degrees. Set the pans or just the liners on racks to cool. Let cool completely before gently peeling the parchment away from each cookie.
- The cookies are best on the day they are baked — the exterior is crisp and chewy and the interior soft and moist. Although the crispy edges will soften, the cookies remain delicious stored in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days.
- Upgrade 2.1: Chocolate-Topped Coconut Macaroons. Do this for any version of Coconut Macaroons: While the cookies are still hot, top each with a little piece of your favorite milk or dark chocolate. Or drizzle a little melted chocolate over each cookie.
- Upgrade 2.2: Coconut Macaroons with Lime Zest and Cinnamon. Stir 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons freshly grated lime zest into the batter before scooping it. Using a fine grater or Microplane zester, grate a little cinnamon stick over the cookies just before serving.
- This recipe is a Community Pick!
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about 1 month ago mzungu
I have made these three times as each time, some fall apart while baking. What am I doing wrong? I try to condense the heaps as much as possible each time, yet this still happens. I love this recipe so much, but the falling apart thing is killing me here!
21 days ago Dessito
Obviously it's hard to guess where the problem may lie, but from just looking at the recipe, I'd suggest the following: 1) make sure the "cooking" of the egg whites over the double boiler is long enough; 2) definitely let the hot mix rest for 30-35 mins for absorption; 3) don't skip those first 5 mins of baking at the higher temperature. Additionally, it may have something to do with the specific coconut shreds you use. If they've been the same each time, maybe try to find some from a different supplier? Those would be my suggestions. I can vouch that the recipe can come together very nicely and easily. Good luck in your next attempts!
about 1 month ago ella11
I am so incredibly pleased with this recipe! After asking a panicked question here I got an awesome response in less than 5 minutes! Took the advice shared : (1/4) cup less coconut if using unsweetened shredded. Results were amazing!! I've never made macaroons before and these were easy and delicious!! I also did the chocolate bar upgrade which was a huge hit at dinner. They did look rather unnatractive but that's ok :).
3 months ago Tucker & Me
I've been baking "Martha's" chocolate dipped mac's for the holidays for more years than I choose to admit. They've always turned out beautifully, and are fabulous for Passover. BUT....I have got to try these. Bon Appetit has a similar recipe in this month's mag. So, I am beside myself to take a test run this weekend. I will definitely post the results!
3 months ago em-i-lis
Emily is a trusted source on General Cooking.
These are absolutely fabulous!
3 months ago stimps
This weekend will see these on my counter. =)
3 months ago Dessito
I'm planning to make this over the weekend, but am wondering if anyone can offer tips on how to make the heaps "attractive". :)
Thanks,
D.
3 months ago stimps
I find the two spoons mode works well enough if you take your time to scrape each spoon. I am not always careful enough, and have to remind myself to slow down. I also have a cookie scoop, but I'm not sure if it's the right size for these ingredients yet. Good luck!
30 days ago Dessito
Finally had a chance to make these -- easy, beautiful and so delicious! (What made the heaps "attractive" was ruffling up the smooth tops very gently just a tad with a fork after making irregular balls with two spoons as stimps here had suggested.) Got 20 pieces out of the ingredients. Probably 2.5-3 bites in each. :)
5 months ago Butternut
These are lovely - tasty, pretty, and different. Stuck a semi-sweet chocolate chip into about half of them right when they came out of the oven, as per the "Upgrade 2/1" - very good. Loved the plain ones, also, though, with coffee in the morning - yum.
5 months ago witloof
These are in the oven right now and they are already wonderful, judging from the finger I swiped along the bottom of the bowl, but I didn't get 22, I got 12.
5 months ago alice medrichs
sweet treat
6 months ago vjsoftball
These sound amazing. I am thinking about substituting this for my traditional macaroon-dipped-in-chocolate recipe. However, I make a large amount of cookies and give away at Christmas, so I have to freeze them for 2-3 weeks until delivery day. I would make about 300 of these and freeze most. I read that it is best to eat them right away...have they been freezer tested?
6 months ago Kristen Miglore
Kristen is the Senior Editor of Food52
I've never freezer tested these, but hopefully if someone else has, they'll pipe up!
5 months ago vjsoftball
I made almost 500 of these on November 30th, kept some as macaroons and dipped most into dark chocolate. Friends that ate them on the first day said they were amazing. I froze most of them to deliver this week. First deliveries were yesterday and the results are good, my testers said the first day is the absolute best, but they are still wonderful. They could not tell the difference between eating them the second day or after freezing them for two weeks.
3 months ago Amina Abdelaziz
Since you made so much of these, I'm sure they turned out perfect with you :-) when I made them they were just too hard and chewy. I'm not sure what I did wrong for them come out like that.any suggestions for the next time I make them?
3 months ago vjsoftball
In addition to making the original 500, I have made them two more times and each time the results are the same - crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside - on the first day. They do lose the crisp outside on the second and subsequent days, but the taste is still amazing. You do need to follow the baking instructions closely (steps 3 - 5 above). It is time consuming and I don't like to be interrupted because there are a lot of pan moves (I bake two pans at a time) and temperature changes if you are doing multiple batches. Be sure to do all of the pan flips and top to bottom - there are two, one at 350 degrees and one at 325. Hope this helps!
3 months ago Amina Abdelaziz
Thanks for your reply!I only used one baking pan because it's larger than the usual baking sheets, but I still rotated it and changed temps as well. I just realized that using a thicker baking pan might have made the browning time longer, because I actually went over the time recommended for browning them. I'm definitely going to keep making them till they're perfect:-)
3 months ago vjsoftball
Until this year I was using Airbake pans, but switched to the jelly roll type that Costco sells. I didn't think about it until you said it, but that may be the difference. I was very true to the time because the pans are not as thick as the Airbake. Good luck!
6 months ago Lynne Harty
While I loved the flavor of these, I thought that the dried coconut flakes made them too chewy - like I had to chew forever. I would try either frozen coconut next time or the shredded dried coconut.
6 months ago Cicciabella
Having made these numerous times now as they are a huge hit. I suggest a slight procedural tweak: mix up egg whites and sugar. Cook WITHOUT ADDING COCONUT until mixture become frothy, thickened and opaque, as directed. At that point add your coconut chips, then let sit. It's much easier to keep the sugar/egg white mixture smooth.
DO search out the coconut chips as the texture is what defines these spectacular cookies!
5 months ago witloof
Thanks for posting this... I was reading the recipe in preparation for making these tomorrow and was thinking the same thing.
3 months ago Amina Abdelaziz
Thanks for this tip. I'll definitely try that out next time.
8 months ago Aktommey
Made these this weekend and they were AMAZING. Thanks for this quick and easy recipe that yields beautiful results! I used a glass bowl (don't have anything metal) and it took me a bit over 10 minutes for it to heat up and start congealing. I highly suggest drizzling chocolate on top (I used dark chocolate).
8 months ago darksideofthespoon
I am making these this weekend. And possibly eating them all. I gotta wait so I can get big chunky coconut strips! I'm sure they'd be fine with regular coconut but I might as well go big or go home!
8 months ago darksideofthespoon
So, I said this weekend? I went out shortly after that and bought the coconut. FFWD to right now and there are no more. I'm awesome.
8 months ago Kristen Miglore
Kristen is the Senior Editor of Food52
Yes, you are!
about 1 year ago ctgal
I made these for Passover, but I was too lazy to go out for coconut shards and used the sweetened coconut that I already had. To Die For!!! Maybe a little too sweet, but ... oh my! I served them at the end of first seder with a flourless chocolate cake. And, we go to an annual Easter brunch on Easter, and this year I got to bring my macaroons. They disappeared!! Alice Medrich is my baking heroine!
about 1 year ago ctgal
I made these for Passover, but I was too lazy to go out for coconut shards and used the sweetened coconut that I already had. To Die For!!! Maybe a little too sweet, but ... oh my! I served them at the end of first seder with a flourless chocolate cake. And, we go to an annual Easter brunch on Easter, and this year I got to bring my macaroons. They disappeared!! Alice Medrich is my baking heroine!
about 1 year ago stacey_ballis
Wanted to bake day-of, but not have to prep. Made the batter on Wednesday, refridgerated till Friday, then baked them off. They were perfect, crispy outside, chewy inside, and I didn't have a problem with them spreading out at all. I did have to bake slightly longer as the batter was not at room temp, but this is a great do-ahead prep...and was as popular on Easter Sunday as it was Passover night!
about 1 year ago 1172 cook
These came out great and my family and friends loved them! Thank you.
about 1 year ago 2nd Street Sue
I sent this recipe to my daughter in law to make for Seder. Her mother was visiting from Los Angeles and made them during her stay in Philadelphia. They were delicious, but unlike the recipe which says they are best the day they are made, they were even better the next day!!! This one is going into my recipe file.
about 1 year ago Celia Hirsh
The most delicious and incredibly addictive macaroons I've ever made. Luckily I stocked up on coconut chips so I can make more today. Thankyou!!
about 1 year ago Tarragon
I made these for first seder and they were wonderful - even the macaroon haters loved them! They were so good that I decided to make a second batch on Saturday to bring to a second seder.
The store where I had found the coconut chips the previous week did not have them yesterday! So I bought unsweetened shredded coconut instead. The unsweetened shredded coconut must be denser than the regular sweetened shredded coconut, since I found that with 3 Cups of the shredded coconut, I needed to increase the quantity of eggs whites (and thus the sugar, vanilla and salt also) by 50%, and ended up with about 32 macaroons. They were very good, but not as special as the ones made with the coconut chips.
Needless to say, this is a wonderful recipe, but hold out for the coconut chips!
about 1 year ago vivanat
I made these as part of the dessert for our seder and they were a hit, both in looks and taste.
about 1 year ago vivanat
wow, I totally missed that my comment from yesterday actually did post. alas.
about 1 year ago Carol Sacks
What a recipe! I made these for a seder last evening and they were a huge hit. Here's a link to a photo I posted: http://twitpic.com/96iirn Thanks for posting this recipe; it's absolutely "genius."
about 1 year ago MeghanSK
These are the perfect balance of crunchy crisp shell with gooey sweet inside! I was so intrigued by the variations that I did a half batch with chili chocolate jammed into the top and a half batch of the lime/cinnamon upgrade. Both were delicious, but the lime/cinnamon combo really left all other macaroons in the dust. I'm such a chocoholic I almost didn't try the 2nd upgrade, but I'm glad I did!
As a side note - I only had unsweetend shredded coconut and although it wasn't mentioned as a variation in the recipe I simply subbed it in for the same 3 cups of sweetened shredded coconut, no added sugar. it worked perfectly and personally, I think it was the perfect level of sweet!
about 1 year ago vivanat
Loooooooved this. I used Scharffenberger semi sweet chocolate. I think I am now a macaroon convert.
about 1 year ago The Cook's Tour
I making mine tomorrow!
about 1 year ago The Cook's Tour
I making mine tomorrow!
about 1 year ago Sarah111
These are amazing.. Just finished a batch for Passover. Went the chocolate route, but added dark chocolate with ginger on some. Yum!
about 1 year ago auntiefruf
Wow, that sounds like a terrific flavor combination of coconut, ginger and chocolate. I'm sure everyone was quite delighted with the treat.
about 1 year ago Foodelf
I brought these macaroons to the office for my gluten-free boss's birthday and they were a huge hit ... practically a standing ovation! I made the majority with chocolate and they swooped up immediately. Thank you for this great, fun recipe!
about 1 year ago ctgal
I make macaroons every year. I have to admit, though, that I buy one can too, for old time's sake. And anything that Alice Medrich does is fine with me! She is superb! So I will use her directions. Thank you!!
about 1 year ago simplythebest
This recipe looks Devine! I can't wait to make them with the shards of coconut.
about 1 year ago The Cook's Tour
These sounds so great. I am going to make them next week!
about 1 year ago auntiefruf
I can taste them already - no need to tell what chocolate I will be using: auntie fruf's aahsome fudge with TCHO chocolate, of course.
about 1 year ago Sandra Lea
Just curious, what kind of chocolate did you use?
about 1 year ago Kristen Miglore
Kristen is the Senior Editor of Food52
We used Green & Black's 70% dark and it was a nice contrast to the sweet coconut and vanilla, but you can use any chocolate you like.
about 1 year ago This Is How I Cook
I make macaroons every year. This will be a great addition to my repertoire. I especially like the chunk of chocolate as I always did chocolate chips, and the tip about letting the coconut soak up the goop!
about 1 year ago wietje
Looks like a real genius to me.
about 1 year ago allie
If sweetened cocunut is used, do you reduce sugar?
about 1 year ago Kristen Miglore
Kristen is the Senior Editor of Food52
Actually, you use the same amount. Alice Medrich says "trust me" about this, in the headnote in her book -- I did when I tested that version, and it worked out well!