Coconut Macaroons

When we were in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, I had a delicious coconut macaroon from a little cafe. It got me in the mood for coconut and I wondered if I could make a similar cookie at home. I found a recipe at foodnetwork.com by Ina Garden (Barefoot Contessa). I was happily surprised that they were so easy to make and SO delicious. I probably ended up eating half of them. No joke. If you like coconut, give these a try! 

Ingredients:

14 ounces sweetened shredded coconut 
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk 
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
2 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature 
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

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 and serve. 

I ran out of parchment paper, so I baked the cookies directly on the tray - I would NOT recommend doing this. These cookies are quite sticky and I had to scrape them off the baking sheet. Next time, I'll definitely use parchment paper.

 

I took them out of the oven when they looked like this - golden edges and a little firm. The insides are soft chewy coconut. Such a sweet treat!