Some form of macaroons can be traced as far back as the 8th century. In the mid-1500s, two Benedictine nuns came to Nancy France seeking asylum during the French Revolution. The two women paid for their housing by baking and selling macaroons and became known as the “Macaroon Sisters”. While they are not a traditional Jewish food, macaroons show up at Passover today. My recipe has a little flour so may not qualify for the Seder table. Here is how I make it.
Add 3 cups of sweetened shredded or flaked coconut to a large bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon of flour. Into a smaller bowl, whisk together 2 egg whites, ¼ cup of cream of coconut (not coconut cream or coconut milk), ½ teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon (or more) of vanilla extract. Using a rubber spatula, stir the mixture into the coconut until well combined and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and spray lightly with vegetable spray. Using a small ice cream scoop (1 ½ inches), make mounds of the coconut mixture about 1 inch apart. You should have about 20 mounds.
Pop into a preheated 375-degree oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the macaroons are slightly browned. Rotate the pan halfway through the cooking time. Allow to cool on the sheet pan for 2 minutes then transfer to a wire rack using a metal spatula and allow to cool completely. My friend Lee likes to dip the edges in melted chocolate. YUM!
And that is it. It is easy enough to try today. Enjoy!
We had the pleasure of having these Wonderful Macaroons yesterday, what a treat!! Great cookie for Easter, highly recommend. Thank you for sharing your tips for making and the history dear Raymond.
I enjoyed these so much that as soon as Raymond posted the recipe, I made a batch to take to family Easter gathering. I know my granddaughter is going to love them. I did dip the bottoms in dark chocolate, yum❣️