Tropical Macaroons

The other night, Bruce asked me if I wanted coconut or almond macaroons for dessert. I couldn't make up my mind. Not that I'm all that indecisive. Oh, a little. But not a lot. I'm like any good Southern boy who's lived a decade and a half in New York City and New England. You know, just a remnant of good manners left. I smile before I cut you off on the highway.

Anyway, I couldn't decide. So he ended up making both--at once. With some chopped candied pineapple in the mix, to boot.

Here's the shtick for about 32 cookies:

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350F. Line two large baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.

Put one 7-ounce tube almond paste, 1 cup confectioners' sugar, and 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar in a food processor fitted with the chopping blade. Process until grainy, like coarse cornmeal.

The interesting bit here is definitely that dark brown sugar, unexpected in macaroons. It gives them a deeper taste, a softer chew inside, crunchier outside, remarkable all around.

Add one 14-ounce bag sweetened coconut and 2 1/2 candied pineapple rings, finely chopped--about 4 ounces of the stuff. And don't gross out at it. When you see the flavor it brings to these cookies, you'll be a convert to all those glacéed fruits. You'll soon be eating fruitcake! (Do I hope too much?) Pulse just to combine. Then pour this mixture into a big bowl.

In a medium bowl, beat 3 large egg whites and 1/4 teaspoon salt with an electric mixer at high speed until soft peaks form, ones that droop from the turned-off beaters when they're stuck back in the mixture. Beat in 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.

One note: those egg whites should be at room temperature. Separate the eggs and then let the egg whites sit out on the counter in the bowl for 15 minutes or so before beating. If they're cold, the proteins will be wound into tight wads and will not stretch out to build great structure in the meringue.

Fold these beaten egg whites into the grainy coconut mixture in three additions, using good arcs and a rubber spatula so that you moisten the coconut mixture without deflating the egg whites. In the end, however, there should be no streaks of white in the batter.

Drop this mixture by two-tablespoonful mounds onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the mounds a couple inches apart.

Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Then cool on the baking sheets at room temperature for 5 minutes before slipping them from the baking sheets to a wire cooling rack with a thin metal spatula. The cookies are still a little fragile, so be gentle. Continue cooling for a few hours--then store between sheets of wax paper in a sealable container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Comments

[RR]

Mark/Bruce - Thank you for the recipe. You have made my office staff HAPPY - RR

[Rocky Mountain Woman]

Love love love macaroons...must make tonight...boyfriend will be very happy..thanks..

[Mark Scarbrough]

Especially after brisket.

M.

[Tracey@TangledNoodle]

I am now desperately craving chewy, sweet macaroons!