Thursday

Mother's Day Macaroons

Ingredients
  • 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 t salt
  • 1t vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup cake flour, sifted
  • 3 cups sweetened, shredded coconut
  • lemon or orange zest, fine, to taste (optional)
Preparation
  • In a stainless steel bowl, whisk together the egg whites, sugar and salt.
  • Bring a sauce pan with enough water in it to cover the bottom to a boil; this pan should be a size that the bowl will rest comfortably over.  
  • Take boiling water off the heat and cover the top of the pan with a towel; this will keep your bowl of egg white mixture from sliding around.
  • Place egg white mixture bowl on towel that is covering the boiling water and whisk egg mixture until it is warm to the touch.
  • Remove from heat; add flour, vanilla, coconut, zest and mix well.
  • Cover and refrigerate until firm and chilled through, maybe an hour or two.
  • Preheat oven to 325F
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and scoop small mounds of the macaroon mixture onto sheet, placing them a couple of inches apart.
  • Bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until just starting to turn golden brown.
  • Allow to cool, then eat!
Comments
  • Recipe makes 1-2 dozen macaroons depending on the size scoop you use.
  • I like to make them on the larger side so that they are still soft on the inside once they brown on the outside.
  • These are great without the zest, but it is a nice way to play around with the flavor for a special occasion.
  • These are a staple at our Mother's Day brunch; they go great with chocolate, strawberries, or just alone with mom.
  • The batter can be made up to a couple of days in advance, then just scoop them out and bake.
  • They can be stored, already baked in an airtight container for a couple of days too; but are best baked and eaten fresh.
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