Did you know that the ”coco” in Coconut comes from the Portuguese word that means goblin or monkey? If you’ve seen a husked coconut you’ll see why; it looks as if it has two eyes and a mouth closely resembling a monkey face. But Coconut Macaroons…it’s another thing altogether.
I grew up eating coconuts in all it’s shape and form and one way to enjoy them is as a sweet in these Coconut Macaroons. These are very similar in taste to the Filipino sweet called bukayo, made of coconut strips caramelised with sugar.
I have almost forgotten how good they are, in favour of more elaborate creations, but I have a friend who is not able to eat anything with gluten and dairy, and I’m always a little guilty that I can eat anything I want, while she can’t. So Coconut Macaroon is perfect, because it doesn’t have any flour or butter.
And by the way, these are not the fancy French macaroons. This is the Filipino version which is crunchy on the outside with soft moist centre and an intense coconut flavour. In the Philippines, they are often baked in little cupcake liners because they tend to stick a bit.
What you need for Coconut Macaroons
The recipe calls for egg whites only, so what do you do with the egg yolks? In this case two made it to the fried rice I made for lunch, one was used as a glaze for the bread rolls I was making, and one was used as a binder for fish cakes which we had the next day.
- Coconut – I use desiccated unsweetened coconut flakes or shredded coconut which is now widely available. Coconut flakes are softer than shredded coconut and has a higher moisture content
- Fridge/Pantry Staples – Egg Whites, Caster Sugar,Vanilla Paste, Honey
- Small muffin cases, optional and a Cookie Sheet
Easy and quick…
- Place all the ingredients into a small heavy bottomed pot and use a spoon to mix together,
- Cook on medium low, until sugar melts and the mixture thickens with the consistency of thick porridge.
- Scoop into balls and place into prepared pans.
- Bake until light golden about 15 minutes.
Coconut Macaroons
16
servings10
minutes15
minutesCrispy on the outside/Chewy on the inside
Ingredients
4 egg whites
1 1/4 cup caster sugar
4 Tablespoons pure honey
1 1/3 cups shredded coconut or coconut flakes, unsweetened
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
Directions
- Preheat oven to 160°C fan forced. Line a cookie sheet/baking pan with baking paper.
- Measure all the ingredients together into a small heavy bottomed saucepan.
- Cook on medium low heat stirring often for about 5 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low and continue cooking and stirring now and again until all the sugar melt and mixture thickens. It should have the consistency of a thick porridge.
- Use two teaspoons to form walnut sized balls and place each ball into the prepared pan, (or muffin cases) making sure to leave space in between to allow for spreading.
- Place the baking sheet with the macaroons in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until puffy and golden.
- Remove pan from the oven and set aside to cool. Cool completely before serving or storing.
Notes
- Will keep for a week in an airtight container.
