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I love when I find an excuse to bake cookies. I usually try not to make them at home because I know I will devour them way too quickly. Since I am already surrounded by a ton of desserts at work, I tell myself I don’t need them at home (although Luigi disagrees). This past week, a close friend of mine that I went to high school with asked me if I had any recommendations for a dessert delivery service in Reno. She lives in Los Angeles now and wanted cookies delivered to her mom on her birthday. I am sure in LA there are all kinds of options for this type of service, here in Reno though, I could only think of one. That “one” being myself of course. 

I was super excited when I found out my friend’s mom loves coconut macaroons. They are a favorite of mine as well, and I haven’t made them in a long time. I used to make these for a cafe I worked at in San Francisco, and I formed a quick addiction to them, eating one after every shift! The thing that sets this recipe apart from others, is that the “batter” is cooked on the stove before the cookies get baked. This is a similar technique to a swiss meringue. Heating the egg whites and sugar on the stove helps add stability to the cookies and keeps them from spreading or deflating in the oven. This results in cookies that are soft on the inside and toasted and crisp on the outside. Heating the sugar also creates a stickiness and flavor that is reminiscent of a marshmallow. So really these are like a cross between a marshmallow and a coconut macaroon, and who could resist that? Definitely not me. I polished off at least four of these bad boys before filling the box for my friend’s mom. That is the exact reason I try not to bake at home!

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Coconut Macaroons
*Makes 3 dozen
*My original recipe was written using weight measurements, I have also added cup measurements

8 oz (1 cup or about 6 large) Egg Whites
2 oz (3 TBSP) Honey
1 lb (2 1/4 cups) Sugar
1/2 oz (2 TBSP) Flour
1 lb (6 cups) Coconut – shredded & sweetened
8 oz (1 1/3 cups) Chocolate

  1. Combine the egg whites, honey, and sugar in a medium-sized pot. Using a thermometer, heat on medium heat until 110F. 
  2. Add the flour and coconut to the pot and continue to cook until 165F. The mixture will be sticky and thick.                                             
  3. Pour coconut batter onto a sheet tray lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat, and let cool in refrigerator until cold.   
  4. Preheat oven to 325F. Scoop the coconut batter into rounded balls using a tablespoon measure. Place balls onto a sheet tray lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat & cook until golden brown, 25 minutes or so. Let cool
  5. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler on the stove, and then dip the coconut macaroon in the chocolate. Place the macaroon on parchment or waxed paper until the chocolate has dried.