Macaroons

If you were to google the difference between Macaroon and Macaron you may come across a definition where the former is described as’ the ugly little cousin’ of the latter –  ‘the luscious confection’.   Now on the surface the macaron, bedecked of late in trendy pastels, may indeed appear the prettier of the two, she is to me though a  flimsy little thing so light in fact as to almost melt on the tongue and disappear in an instant.  Is that really what we want from a confection?  More suited I think to participate as an offering in a selection of desserts perhaps in an afternoon tea, where tastes of this and that are offered as on her own she will never satisfy.  The macaroon on the other hand will deliver on the satisfaction front.  Judge for yourself but this is no ‘ugly little cousin.’

Simple to make and gluten-free if you are a coconut lover you will enjoy this treat.

Macaroons
You will need:
3 egg whites
175g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g dessicated coconut
100g dark chocolate (I used Lindt Coconut Intense for extra coconuttiness!)
Method:
Pre-heat the fan oven to 180C / Gas Mark 6.
Place the egg whites, caster sugar and vanilla extract together in a saucepan and whisk together over a medium heat until a little thickened, warm and frothy (3-4 minutes).
Allow to cool off the heat for a minute or two – it should not be very hot anyway.  Then stir in the dessicated coconut.
Place heaped spoonfuls onto lined baking trays – I used an egg cup to shape my macaroons instead of using spoons.
Bake in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes until golden brown and firm to touch on the outside and still squishy inside.
Allow to cool before placing on a wire tray.  Sit the wire tray over a sheet of baking / parchment paper and top your macaroons with melted chocolate.  Leave to firm up.
Enjoy.
‘Til next time, Sheila.