A chewy, moist cookie that dates back to Renaissance Italy!
Macaroon. Not to be confused with the light, delightful yet finicky macaron. Although the macaroon might not catch the eyes of most people like its colorful cousin macaron does, it has its own traits that are certainly irresistible and well…sweet. Literally. Above all, macaroons are significantly easier to make than macarons, in my opinion. And what’s that you see? Only five ingredients (plus chocolate and butter for coating)!
The macaroon and macaron have common ancestry. Both can be traced back to Renaissance Italy. In Italian, the macaroon is called amaretti. Some Italian bakers swapped in shredded coconut for almond paste whereas others tried making them with ground almond, or almond flour. The coconut version (what came to be called the macaroon) was extremely popular in the Jewish community; it was a suitable pastry for Passover because it was unleavened. The recipe for the macaron, on the other hand, was brought by Catherine de Medici from Italy and improved by chefs in the French court.
Both recipes are very similar in their processes: both use sugar and either coconut or almonds. However, once they emerge freshly baked from the oven, they are completely different. One consists of an airy cookie with a gooey ganache filling whereas the other includes a chewy center with a caramelized, slightly crisp exterior.
You may be wondering, “Why both vanilla AND almond extracts?” Trust me, more extracts = more flavor. The vanilla extract is essential, and the almond extract gives a flavor reminiscent of, well…the macaron!
Enjoy the recipe for the weekend. It’s simple, easy to make, and each cookie is the perfect bite-size. Happy Friday!
Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup of white, granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp of almond extract
- 6 cups of sweetened, shredded coconut
Topping
- 8 oz of semisweet chocolate
- 1/2 tbsp of unsalted butter
- Preheat oven to 350? F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk eggs together for about 2-3 minutes. Add sugar, and whisk well. Add extracts, and whisk together. Add shredded coconut, and mix together until all coconut is coated in egg mixture.
- Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop macaroon batter onto baking sheets, placing each about 1 inch apart (the macaroons do not spread much).
- Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes or until tops are slightly golden. Let macaroons cool.
- For chocolate topping, heat chocolate and butter over a double broiler (large bowl over pot with simmering water over low heat) until chocolate and butter are completely melted. Stir frequently. Remove from heat, and allow chocolate to cool for 2 minutes.
- Dip bottoms of each macaroon into chocolate. You can also drizzle chocolate over macaroons (see video above!). Store macaroons for up to one week in refrigerator. Enjoy these chewy cookies!