"Miracle Macaroons" Recipe

Baking is all about following the rules of science, except when it’s not.

Coconut macaroons haven’t always been an on-trend dessert. If anything, they showed up at bake sales or while rummaging through a grandparent’s pantry.

I ate them exactly once year during Passover. I would have eaten entire canisters of the Manischewitz original coconut macaroons, had said grandmother not caught me.

Once French macarons hit our shores, there was no stopping the coconut craze. Add to that the rise of gluten-free baking, and suddenly coconut is front and center.

A Miracle of Impromptu Baking

Speaking of crazes, I recently discovered that I am NOT, in fact, allergic to almonds. A lifetime of deprivation gave way to an obsession.

When I spotted a package of almond paste the grocery store, I got inspired!

A not-so-secret ingredient to recipes like biscotti, macaroons, and almond croissants, the deep and sensual almond flavor makes an instant impact and adds depth and texture.

I used Odense almond paste, a Danish brand that uses California almonds. The carbon footprint may be huge, but so is the flavor. My apologies to the planet.

The Recipe

The recipe was born out my latest almond obsession paired with an urgency to procrastinate on my taxes one afternoon in early April.

I trawled the internet for recipes, chose one, and as per usual deviated from it. My most crucial variation was baking time and temperature.

By the time I got them in the oven, I realized I’d have to leave the house in 20 minutes. Most recipes called for 30-40 minutes on a lower temperature. I pumped it up and set a timer.

My some miracle, in exactly 20 minutes the edges had turned golden and a heady toasted almond aroma had enveloped the kitchen. I pulled them out and left them to cool atop the pan ( another deviation, as most recipes called for a cooling rack).

When I returned later that evening, buzzed and craving something sweet, the result was pure magic. Crispy, chewy, satisfying, and flavor-packed.

It might have been the wine, or my relief that the experiment had actually worked, but they were, and still are, the best macaroons I’ve ever tasted.

Ingredients

• 2 egg whites

• ½ cup sugar (or less, to taste)

• 190 grams almond paste

• 1 and ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

• A pinch of sea salt

Procedure

Preheat a ventilated oven to 340° F/ 170° C. Line a pan in parchment.

Beat the egg whites until very fluffy. Beat in the sugar and salt. Break apart the almond paste and sprinkle it in, followed by the coconut. Using latex gloves, get in there and mash up the dough. It’s very thick and will likely jam your mixer blade.

Form balls 1-inch (2-cm thick) and place on the pan. Tap (don’t flatten) each one.

Bake until the first flecks of coconut are turning golden brown, approximately 20 minutes.

Allow to cool on the pan for the ultimate caramelization.

Check out another original recipe: “Red Hot Chocolate Cake” an experiment in aphrodisiac cuisine that proved so effective I never stopped baking it.