These slow-baked coconut and almond macaroons are very easy to make. They are sweet, nutty and delicious. The subtle flavours become even better when dipped in melted dark chocolate. We like to dip them, sprinkle more coconut, and refrigerate them to harden the chocolate. You can use any chocolate and a combination of other foods to decorate them.
In texture, the macaroons are crispy and golden on the outside but soft and fluffy on the inside. If you make large macaroons, they will be chewier, which some people favour. The only way to make them taste better is by dipping them in melted dark chocolate and leaving them to harden in the fridge. With an electric whisk, you can achieve stiff peaks with the egg quickly, and even if you half the recipe due to lack of ingredients, you can still make them.
We love this recipe because we have more control over the amounts of sugar that go into them. For example, we can adjust the sugar, but sometimes macaroons are made with sweetened condensed milk instead, which doesn't leave you with as many options. These macaroons are the best, and because they contain coconut, they are said to be a suitable food to soothe IBS related stomach cramps. If you limit yourself to just two macaroons per day, they can be eaten as part of a healthy balanced diet.
Before baking, you can use an ice cream scoop to spoon the mixture onto the baking tray or you can use a piping bag to help make each one uniform. We recommend serving a macaroon or two with a cup of tea. They will stay fresh for three days at room temperature, for one week in the refrigerator, or frozen for up to 3 months.
Ingredients
- Ground almonds (115g)
- vanilla extract (1/4 tsp)
- desiccated coconut (115g)
- Icing sugar (115g)
- Egg whites (2)
Method
- Preheat the oven to gas mark two and grease a baking tray.
- Whisk egg whites until stiff peaks, sift in the icing sugar and fold together.
- Slowly fold in the coconut, extract and nuts until you have a sticky dough.
- Spoon small amounts onto the baking tray with enough space between them to grow.
- Cook in the oven for 25 minutes until golden, then transfer to a cooling rack.
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