Coconut Macarons 🥥

I’m back—and it feels so good to be sharing recipes again! I took a little hiatus, but I’m here to stay 😊. Over the past few months, I found myself reminiscing with my mom about the desserts she used to make when we were kids—which, honestly, were pretty rare. Baking wasn’t really her thing, and I mostly remember cake being reserved for birthdays. But whenever she did bake, it was always incredibly delicious. Now, as an adult, I’ve been inspired to recreate them.

My mom had two signature desserts: her peach cobbler (which is up on my site!) and coconut macarons. They weren’t made often in our house, but whenever she did bake them, we’d devour them within minutes. I recently found myself thinking about those desserts and decided I wanted to give them a try, and it got my mom's approval! I’ll admit, I’m not usually a big coconut fan, but there’s something about how light and delicate these cookies are that my morals go out the window 🪟

I tried 2 recipes, one with egg whites and one with sweetened condensed milk. The biggest difference I noticed between the two is that the egg white base created a very sticky cookie, while the condensed milk made a soft cookie with subtle hints of stickiness. The recipe Im sharing is with condensed milk, but its a personal preferance what you choose!

Coconut Macarons

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups of shredded coconut, sweetened (this is more than 1 14 oz bag, so I'd purchase 2 bags)

• 2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2 large egg whites, room temp

• melting chocolate (optional if wanting to dip or drizzle the cookies)

Steps:

1) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 large baking trays with silicone baking sheets. I wouldn't use aluminum foil; the cookies will stick to it.

2) In a food processor, add your coconut and pulse for a few seconds at a time until the coconut is a bit more shredded. This allows the cookies to hold their shape better.

3) In a stand mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat your egg whites for 3 mins on a medium high speed until stiff peaks form. DONT OVERMIX IT.

4) In a separate bowl, add the shredded coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla extract and mix well.

5) Slowly add in the stiff egg whites and fold into the coconut mixture.

6) Using a cookie scooper (I use a 1.5 tablespoon size), scoop the mixture and place on the trays, not too far apart.

7) Bake for 20-25 mins, until the tops have a slight golden brown color and the base of the cookie is browning a bit. Since I am at a higher altitude, 25 mins is my max.

8) Once cookies are done, let them sit for 15 mins at room temp, and with an offset spatula, remove the cookies and place on a tray lined with parchment paper.

9) Bon Appétit!