This week, while watching MasterChef Junior (U.S.) where the elimination challenge for the losing team was to prepare a box of macarons, I remembered the much loved macaroons prepared during the holidays. Macarons are sandwich cookies with a buttery creamy or fruity filling whereas Macaroons are mounds of coconut with no filling. Both are gluten-free with macarons time-consuming and difficult to make.
Macaroons are popular globally and also, a common Passover treat. Readily available at bakeries in Goa and very easy to do at home. The main ingredients are fresh or desiccated coconut, egg whites, sugar and vanilla. Baked at 300 F or 150 C for 30 minutes until light golden brown in colour. These small circular cakes are light, fluffy, crunchy on the outside with a moist and chewy centre.
Macaroons are popular globally and also, a common Passover treat. Readily available at bakeries in Goa and very easy to do at home. The main ingredients are fresh or desiccated coconut, egg whites, sugar and vanilla. Baked at 300 F or 150 C for 30 minutes until light golden brown in colour. These small circular cakes are light, fluffy, crunchy on the outside with a moist and chewy centre.
Coconut Macaroons
(Yields 6)
Ingredients:
2 egg whites (1/3 cup)
1 cup freshly grated or unsweetened desiccated coconut
3 tablespoons confectioner's sugar (icing sugar)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
a pinch of salt
Method:
Chill the bowl and whisk or beaters in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Ensure that egg whites have no traces of yolks.
Grind the unsweetened desiccated coconut in a food processor to coarse crumbs.
Preheat oven to 300 F or 150 C.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat.
In the chilled bowl, beat egg whites until frothy. Add the sugar, salt and vanilla extract, beat until stiff peaks are formed. Do not overbeat. Gently fold in the coconut. Using an ice-cream scoop, place mounds of mixture on the prepared sheet.
Bake until light golden brown in colour.
Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container.
Note:
(Yields 6)
Ingredients:
2 egg whites (1/3 cup)
1 cup freshly grated or unsweetened desiccated coconut
3 tablespoons confectioner's sugar (icing sugar)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
a pinch of salt
Method:
Chill the bowl and whisk or beaters in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Ensure that egg whites have no traces of yolks.
Grind the unsweetened desiccated coconut in a food processor to coarse crumbs.
Preheat oven to 300 F or 150 C.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat.
In the chilled bowl, beat egg whites until frothy. Add the sugar, salt and vanilla extract, beat until stiff peaks are formed. Do not overbeat. Gently fold in the coconut. Using an ice-cream scoop, place mounds of mixture on the prepared sheet.
Bake until light golden brown in colour.
Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container.
Note:
- In case of freshly grated coconut, lightly roast, cool and then fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites. When fresh coconut (without roasting) is directly folded with the beaten egg whites, the moisture in the coconut deflates the air.
- Using a large star shaped tip, the mixture can be piped onto the prepared sheet, topped with a maraschino cherry and baked. The star tip I have is a regular one, too narrow for the coconut mixture to pass through.
