Coconut Macaroons with Dark Chocolate

I'm going to be honest here - most recipes I try for the first time end up going on here, since they usually turn out well the first time I try them, or they are a tried and true dish that I've been riffing on for years and decided to finally write it down. These macaroons are the first thing I've made at least a dozen times before I've found what I think is as close to a perfect coconut macaroon you're going to get. It took pounds of shredded coconut and sugar before I got these right. 

Although I knew what I wanted in these, I didn't know how to get there. Kind of like starting off with what you don't like about something, and going from there. I don't like the texture of shredded coconut in a macaroon - I wanted a creamier, smoother take on it, similar to the first one I ever had nearly 20 (gasp) years ago. They were large and wonderfully round, with a crisp golden brown exterior with a creamy just-right-amount of sweetness interior, with a pleasant chew. 

Lots of research in various cookbooks and online led me down pretty much the same path. There aren't too many variations out there, which was a bit disappointing. Then I found what I was missing... sweetened condensed milk! I felt like a complete dumb dumb when I stumbled across Ina Garten's version and realized that was what was missing! The glue that holds 7 layer bars together (one of my fav desserts, with coconut no less!) was the magic ingredient I was missing. 

This recipe is an adaptation of Ina's. I processed the coconut for quite a bit in the food processor to achieve the smaller crumb that I was after, but feel free to skip this step if you prefer the straight up shredded coconut texture.

INGREDIENTS

14 ounces sweetened shredded coconut,

   pulsed in a food processor for about 1 minute
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk 
   (not to be confused with evaporated milk)
1/4 cup almond flour
1/2 tsp good vanilla extract plus
   1/2 tsp almond extract, or 1 full 
   tsp of either
3 large egg whites
pinch of kosher salt 
pinch of cream of tarter
6 ounces good quality dark chocolate,
   melted and slightly cooled (optional... sorta)

Preheat oven to 325*, ensuring there are racks placed on the upper and lower middles of the oven. Fully combine the processed coconut, sweetened condensed milk, almond flour, and extracts in a large bowl. In a smaller  bowl, use an electric hand mixer to whisk the whites, salt, and cream of tarter to firm peaks. Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the coconut mixture. Set aside. 

Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Do not be tempted to break out your silpat here - they will surprisingly stick like crazy to this. Scoop out scant tablespoons of batter and drop them onto the sheets, leaving a roomy inch or so between each cookie. Pop both sheets in the oven onto each rack and bake for 35 minutes or till golden brown, swapping their places in the oven about halfway through.

Remove from oven and let cool for a minute before placing on a wire rack to cool completely. Meanwhile, chop up the chocolate using a serrated knife and empty into an oven safe glass bowl. You can either use a double boiler type method (which I prefer, since you're more in control and less likely to scorch the chocolate) or the microwave. For the stove top, place a medium sauce pan filled with an inch of water and bring to a gentle simmer. Place the bowl on top and melt the chocolate, stirring often, till nearly all of it is melted. Remove from heat and stir continuously till all the chocolate has melted. If using the microwave, heat the chocolate in 30 second intervals, stirring well between each one, till most of the chocolate has melted. 

Flip the parchment paper over on one of the cookie sheets, which should now be fully cooled. Dunk, dip, drizzle or drown each macaroon in the melted chocolate, and place them on the parchment. Pop into the fridge and chill till the chocolate has completely set, about 30 minutes. Remove and place into an airtight container. These cookies will keep for 2 days on the counter top, or a week in the fridge.

Recipe adapted from Barefoot Contessa's Coconut Macaroons

Snackies Volume I

Granted, snacks such as these are usually found as cocktail party fare, but not lately in our house. The little one is quite fond of snacks, and unfortunately she is growing out of being content with a little bowl of black beans for one. Her tastes, not so surprisingly, seem to mirror mine, and these are a couple (of many) of my favorite snackies to have around the house. 

Who doesn't love mixed nuts? And gougères, aka crisp yet melt in your mouth cheese balls, are so addicting you will be slightly unnerved once you see how many you can house down.
These are also perfect to make in advance. The nuts keep well in an airtight container for up to a week, and the gougères can be frozen. Just 5 minutes in a 350* oven does the trick. 

Spiced Nuts

INGREDIENTS

1 cup pecans
1 cup walnuts
1 cup almonds
or 3 cups of any combination of nuts you prefer, as long as they are roasted, not raw
2 egg whites, beaten till very frothy and slightly stiff
1.5 tsp kosher salt or sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp ground rosemary or 1 Tbsp finely chopped 
   fresh
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
pinch of cayenne, or to taste

Preheat oven to 350* and line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.

 Add the spices to the beaten egg whites and gently fold them in thoroughly with a rubber spatula. Add the nuts and gently stir, ensuring they all get evenly coated. Spread them out evenly on the lined baking sheet and bake for about 15 - 20 minutes. Remove from oven and set cool on sheet for about 5 minutes before placing them in serving dish, or storage container. Let cool completely before covering to store. 

Gougères by Alain Ducasse

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup whole milk
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
Large pinch of kosher salt
1 cup AP flour
4 large eggs
1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese, plus extra for
   sprinkling
freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400*. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats. In a medium saucepan, combine water, milk, butter and salt and bring to a boil. Add the flour all at once and stir it in well. Turn heat to low and keep stirring the dough till it begins to pull away from the pan and leave a bit of a film behind, around 2 minutes.

Place the dough in a large glass bowl and let cool for about a minute. Beat the eggs into the dough one at a time, ensuring each one is completely amalgamated before adding the next. The dough will look pretty off putting after you initially add an egg, but don't worry- just keep stirring and it comes together to form a beautifully satiny batter. Add the cheese and a pinch of pepper and nutmeg.

You can transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch round or star tip and pipe tablespoon size mounds onto the baking sheets 2 inches apart or simply scoop the batter out with a tablespoon and drop them onto the baking sheets. Either way, they turn out beautiful and delicious. Sprinkle with some cheese and bake for ~22 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Serve immediately. 

If you are making them ahead, bake them for only about 20 minutes so they aren't quite completely golden brown. Allow to cool and freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet. Empty the sheet into a freezer bag. Keeps well for a month.

Alain Ducasse's Gougères from Food and Wine

All photos by Renee Hendrix

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