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Dinner Together: Coconut macaroons make for a simple yet satisfying Easter treat

Correspondent

Sometimes recipe authors have a strange sense of what is easy. When they start to gush about a recipe with a long ingredient list and 20 steps, it makes me want to rush straight to the Costco bakery.

This recipe is truly easy. It has five ingredients – and six steps, if you count turning on the oven.

My sons, ages 9 and 13, helped me whip up this recipe while we were making dinner together. We stirred, whipped and folded this batter in no time. The golden crispy, yet chewy cookies were a hit. Especially after we dressed them up with a little dark chocolate.

Coconut macaroons are a traditional Passover treat, because they don’t contain flour. They also make a lovely Easter dessert. Use the extra melted chocolate to drip strawberries for a pretty tray to pass after your egg hunt, brunch or holiday dinner.

There are many variations of these coconut cookies in books and online. We turned to the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten, for her well-regarded version. She famously uses extra-large eggs in all her baking. We had good luck substituting 3 large egg whites.

Coconut Macaroons

From Ina Garten

14 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

14 ounces sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature

1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Combine the coconut, condensed milk and vanilla in a large bowl.

Whip the egg whites and salt on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until they make medium-firm peaks. Carefully fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.

Drop the batter onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper using either a 1 3/4-inch diameter ice cream scoop, or 2 teaspoons. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.

Cool on wire racks.

Yield: 20-22 cookies