Not For Passover: Triple Coconut Macaroons

Last week, when I trashed poor Aunt May’s awful Passover Macaroons in the Matzo Ball post, what I neglected to tell you, is that even though hers were dreadful, I still make macaroons in her honor every year. Just not her recipe. And these are certainly not kosher.

I found this recipe in the February 2000 issue of Cooks Illustrated and have never so much as looked at another macaroon recipe. They’re perfect. Moist, toasty, and loaded with coconut, dipped in chocolate. What could be bad? Nothing, unless you don’t love coconut.

These keep very well if you store them airtight, at least for a week. I’ve never tried to freeze them as they never last long enough to try.

I'm sorry, Aunt May, but I bet you'd have loved these, after the holidays.

Triple Coconut Macaroons
From Cooks Illustrated February 2000
Makes about 40

"From Cook's Illustrated. Be sure to mix the cream of coconut thoroughly before using (shake cans), as the mixture separates upon standing. Unsweetened desiccated coconut is commonly sold in natural food stores or Asian markets. If you are unable to find any, use all sweetened flaked or shredded coconut, but reduce the amount of cream of coconut to ½ cup, omit the corn syrup, and toss 2 tablespoons cake flour with the coconut before adding the liquid ingredients. For larger macaroons, shape haystacks from a generous ¼ cup of batter and increase the baking time to 20 minutes. For the chocolate-dipped: Using the two-stage melting process for the chocolate helps ensure that it will be at the proper consistency for dipping the cookies. // Note: Be sure to use sweetened cream of coconut as this is the primary sweetener for the macaroons."
Ingredients

• 1 cup cream of coconut ( sweetened cream of coconut, not coconut milk)
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 4 large egg whites
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups unsweetened shredded desiccated coconut
• 3 cups sweetened flaked coconut ( about 8 ounces)

Chocolate-Dipped

• 10 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (optional)

Directions
 Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and lightly spray parchment with nonstick vegetable cooking spray.

  Whisk together cream of coconut, corn syrup, egg whites, vanilla, and salt in small bowl; set aside. Combine unsweetened and sweetened coconuts in large bowl; toss together, breaking up clumps with fingertips. Pour liquid ingredients into coconut and mix with rubber spatula until evenly moistened. Chill dough for 15 minutes.

 Drop heaping tablespoons of batter onto parchment-lined cookie sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Form cookies into loose haystacks with fingertips, moistening hands with water as necessary to prevent sticking. Bake until light golden brown, about 15 minutes, turning cookie sheets from front to back and switching from top to bottom racks halfway through baking.
 Cool cookies on cookie sheets until slightly set, about 2 minutes; remove to wire rack with metal spatula.

 To make Chocolate-dipped:
 Cool cookies to room temperature on wire rack, about 30 minutes.
 Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Melt 8 ounces chocolate in small heatproof bowl set over pan of almost-simmering water, stirring once or twice, until smooth. (To melt chocolate in microwave, heat at 50 percent power for 3 minutes and stir. If chocolate is not yet entirely melted, heat an additional 30 seconds at 50 percent power.) Remove from heat; stir in remaining 2 ounces chocolate until smooth. Holding macaroon by pointed top, dip bottom and ½ inch up sides of each cookie in chocolate, scrape off excess with finger and place on cookie sheet. Refrigerate until chocolate sets, about 15 minutes.