Name: Coconut Macaroons
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 150 gram shredded coconut; 135 gram condensed milk; 0.25 tsp vanilla extract; 1 pinch(es) salt; 30 gram egg whites; 10 gram castor sugar

Origin of the Macaroons

There isn’t a guaranteed origin of where macaroons are from but some sources say that they came around during the 8th/9th century in Italy. The name macaroons came from the Italian word maccarone/maccherone meaning paste. The origin itself is made with ground almonds, similar to the French macaron. But some time later, it was made in different parts of the world with its variety, and that includes the coconut macaroon.

Coconut macaroons are common in countries like the United Kingdom, Scotland, the Philippines, and the United States. In this recipe, we will be making the United States version of the coconut macaroons.

Coconut Macaroons

If I’m honest with you, I was actually first introduced to coconut macaroons first before ever hearing or trying the more popular French macarons. I had some at a potluck at school when I was in the States and they were just the perfect summer treat. Like little bites of coconut heaven!

Unlike the French macarons, in terms of shape, they are not round at all. In fact, it’s more of a cluster shape because of all the coconuts. And as for the taste, it tastes, well, more like a coconut. It’s sweet but crumbly and a bit dense, yet so satisfying in each bite!

How to Make Coconut Macaroons

So making these coconut macaroons is super simple. It’s not as complicated as the French macaron since you basically just add and mix everything together. Even adding the meringue isn’t as hard as you would when making a French macaron. I can even confidently say that this recipe is pretty much fail-proof!

This version of the coconut macaroons is dense and sweet compared to the other versions. Originally it does need pre-sweetened coconuts but I find them a bit too sweet for my taste so I chose to use regular shredded coconuts instead.

What’s great about these coconut macaroons is that they’re vegetarian and gluten-free! They’re enjoyed best when you feel like you need some sweet tooth in the middle of the day. They’re so quick and easy to whip up when you don’t have a lot of time in the day!

instructions

Making coconut macaroons

Preheat the oven to 160 C.
In a bowl, add shredded coconuts, condensed milk, vanilla extract and salt. Mix everything together evenly with a spatula.
Whisk the egg whites with an electric mixer and gradually add the castor sugar until it forms into a meringue. Make sure the meringue has stiff peaks.
Fold in the meringues to the coconut mixture into 2-3 parts until all the meringue has been folded in, homogeneously.
Take about a handful of the coconut macaroon dough and shape into a rough round shape. Do this until all the mixture is made.
Take a baking tray and place a baking paper or baking mat.
Description Place the dough on the baking tray and make sure they’re spaced out from each other about 2-3 cm apart. Bake the coconut macaroons for 20 mins. or until golden brown.
Place them on a plate after they’re done and enjoy them as a snack!