Easter is almost here and nothing says spring like a good macaroon. The crunchy exterior with the chewy interior with the sweet coconut and hint of cardamom really make these cookies delightful. The original recipe is from Barefoot Contessa Family Style, but I made a few additions to please my palate.
The cardamom really adds a little something extra without it being too overpowering. The trick to making these cookies perfectly is to whip the egg whites until fluffy and fold only half of the egg whites into the coconut mixture at first to measure the wetness of the batter. The cookies will spread too much if you add too much egg white.
Ingredients
14 ounces sweetened coconut
14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
2 egg whites, about 2 ounces
1 pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
To Prepare:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a large mixing bowl add the coconut and the sweetened condensed milk.
2. Next, add the salt and cardamom and stir the mixture together.
3. In a stand mixer, add the egg whites and begin to whip on high until light and fluffy.
4. Dollop half of the whipped egg whites into the coconut mixture and fold into the batter. If the batter doesn’t look too wet, fold in the second half of the egg whites. There should not be a puddle of liquid in the bottom of the bowl.
5. Scoop the macaroon batter onto a cookie sheet or dollop with a tablespoon. The cookies should be almost golf ball size. You can decorate with colored sprinkles if desired — fun for a special event.
6. Place the cookie sheet in the oven to bake for 17-20 minutes until the rim and top of the cookies are lightly browned.
7. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the cookie sheet for 20 minutes.
8. Remove the cookies from the tray and serve or store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Enjoy!
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