Baby baby you're the best - Macaroon!

I heard on the radio that macaroons were going to be the new hip food this decade. The following recipe is so much more than the sum of its ingredients. These toasty chewy gooey cookies take only a few minutes to prepare and they are staggeringly delicious. 

I can only assume that the macaroon's future as "cookie of the decade" will be enhanced with all sorts of extra flavors like pineapple, candied ginger, peppermint bits, who knows? I like them just the way they are.

I have based this recipe on one from the back of a bag of coconut I once bought .

Step 1 What you will need:

1 14 oz. bag of Sweetened Coconut
1 14 oz. Can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 tsp Vanilla
1 pinch (1/8 tsp) Salt (preferably kosher)

A scoop (like an ice cream scoop but smaller, or use a spoon with the deepest "spoony" part you can find.
Mixing bowl 
Mixing spoon
Cookie sheet - buttered or use a "Silpat" (a silicon coated non stick cooking mat (I have had mine for about 15 years so it's a good thing to own.)

Comments

[Darla JZ]

These are EXCELLENT!
Haven't cooled yet..but I "sampled" a smidge...VERY, VERY GOOD

I was skeptical because of the simplicity, but I am a believer now.

Ever try them dipped in chocolate?...my next version.

Thank you!

[nettyo1]

these were great dipped in chocolate. My niece had a choc. fountain at her wedding and one of the things to dip were the macaroon cookies and trust me the first thing to clear off the plates!!!!

[Lance Mt.]

Chocolate? I don't know... but. I am quite interested. Post back and tell us how they go! =D

[Ninzerbean]

 Yup! I was skeptical too the first time so I understand. They are simply better than the sum of their parts, enjoy!

[komies]

I made these the other day as soon as I got the 'ible in my email- they were absolutely delicious. I used a silpat and didn't move them until fully cool, and only had minimal issues with sticking even though I used a low-fat sweeteneded condensed milk. My main issue was that spoon-balling them didn't get them compressed enough to be properly dense; now that I've picked up a cookie scoop like yours (where on earth did mine go? Did you take it? you were making macaroons so I forgive you) I'm going to try my hand at another batch. Will post my results! Thanks for the awesomely delicious 'ible. I'm glad to have another recipe in my repertoire that's simple enough that I can share it with friends without toting my recipe book everywhere.

[Ninzerbean]

I have made over 16 dozen in the last three days (requests from friends for Passover) and the latest batch which are in the oven as I write this have Craisins in them - those sweetened dried cranberries. I think they will be good though this is my first time trying them. Mostly I have been making them with about 1/3 cup of chopped fresh ginger and a tablespoon of white pepper and they are really great. I am glad you tried making them, the cookie scoop will make a world of difference and be sure to let lots of strands hang out on all sides. Sometimes I just slab a bunch of bater down on the pan and make a giant cookie but it's not as good as a small cookie - and I have decided that the baby size scoop gives the best ratio of gooey and crisp. Thanks for writing!

[amishskate]

I got tricked by the Macaron/Macaroon confusion.
I saw a story about Macaroons being the next big thing and I thought “Awesome” I love Macaroons. Then all the pictures in the story were of these little Oreo looking things. They taste ok but are not as awsome as Macaroons.

[Ninzerbean]

 Yep, I mean like what do the French know about food? I'm kinda kidding here of course, but in the case of Marcarons vs Macaroons, we win.

[Hummingbird]

You need to try macaron from the south of France before you decide ;)
They are more rustic and hearty than the Parisian ones, and they don't look like colourful Oreos.

[Ninzerbean]

OK, thank you for letting me know, I don't like the ones that stick to my teeth.

[sallyann]

love this post! these remind me of the best macaroons i've ever had. i was visiting my sister in new york city and went to a coffee shop that had macaroons from danny macaroons that were absolutely to die for! i have dreamed about them many times :) can't wait to try these though...thanks for posting!

[Ninzerbean]

After you make them let me know if they are the same sort of. I went to all the places listed online that sell Danny's and tried to check out the price, they seem to be either a dollar or two. A lot of my friends made these to give out this Christmas and I got rave reviews, best cookie ever etc.

[deewoz]

So I am taking this night class at grad school and the professor wanted us to bring in snacks for our classmates. I was wondering what I could make the night before and would be super simple and cheap and you have answered my prayers. Haha. A plus, is that a friend of mine is in the class has a gluten allergy so she ends up passing up on most delicious homemade treats so I cannot wait to bring this in. :)

[Ninzerbean]

I just made them the night before last and added a small can of drained (well) crushed pineapple, everyone said they were the best cookies in the world but actually I like them plain better. Thanks for commenting.

[Barramundi]

American minutes?

[Ninzerbean]

Lots of people convert measurements on their Instructables... I think you are the only reader to notice. I have been laughing for months, laughing at my own jokes is only one of my very many faults - that's a quote from Former Husband.

[laxap]

Extremely cool oven button (on step 5)!!!

And, oven kept very tidy!!

Oh, and great recipe!

[Ninzerbean]

I used to hate my oven, finally I bite the proverbial bullet and bought a new one and I do love it. It's a Wolf. It's not really very clean because I cooked sweet potatoes one too many times and the juice ate away the bottom enamel coating so I can't even clean it anymore. But thank you.

[Jayefuu]

They're in the oven! I didn't have a baking sheet so I used a silicone cupcake tray. And I didn't have a scoop so I just piled it in. And you were quite insistent on the smooshing so I did some of that too. Quite a bit of the mixture got diverted to mah belleh on the way to the tin...

Will report back with how they are in 20 minutes! :D

[Jayefuu]

[Ninzerbean]

 Wow, a whole new concept Macar-rmuffins! Do they taste as good as they look?

[Jayefuu]

Yes they were really good! If not a little big. Pretty cheap too! 2.5GBP in the end to make 14 (2 more in a little pan)

[Prfesser]

Tried these macaroons last night.  Ate too many.  Took some to the neighbors.  They ate too many, too. :-)  Made 'em with fat-free condensed milk and they were still great!

Fabulous recipe!  Only problem I had was that they stuck badly to the (brand-new, silicone-treated) cookie sheet even after heavily spraying with PAM.  I'll try parchment paper next time.

Thanks a zillion!

[Ninzerbean]

I believe the reason they stuck was because there was no fat in your fat-free condensed milk! That is so strange about the PAM though, I have to tell you that parchment paper wont be any better, is there any chance you used the wrong side of the Silpat? Did you let them cool? Mine just lift off. Sorry you got so full - I know the feeling, you keep saying "just one more..." been there, done that. Thanks a zillion for the feedback.

[ShadowJesus]

I've had these before, and they were amazing:]
can't remember the recipe, so thank you :D

[Ninzerbean]

 You are most welcome.

[the rural independent]

UGGHH!  One of my all-time favorites and now I know how to make my own.

THANK YOU!

If anyone is ever in the Utica, NY area and loves a great macaroon, then Holland Farms Dairy Store is a must stop for  you.  We used to live within walking distance and let me tell you, it was a killer place to get macaroons. 

www.hollandfarms.com/about_us.html

Thanks for sharing this great recipe and love your informal style!!

www.theruralindependent.com/forum/index.php

[porcupinemamma]

Really fab. Instructable!  Thanks for sharing

[=SMART=]

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I LOVE MACAROONS !

i completely forgot about them !! a farm shop near me does some fantastic ones !

[Prfesser]

Those look and sound great!  I've tried making macaroons in the past and they were lousy.  These look much better and I will give them a try.

BTW a mixture *can* be separated, at least theoretically, by physical means, i.e., you could pick out the bits of coconut, etc.  A compound can only be separated by chemical means, i.e., by chemical reactions.  In practice, though, it is usually much easier to separate a compound into its elements than it is to separate a mixture....

Best-- prfesser (science teacher for 28+ years now... :-))

[spraynard]

I would imagine that a centrifuge could remove the condensed milk from the surface of the coconut, but there would be no way to separate the vanilla and salt out of the milk, so technically it would still be partially mixed.  Besides, why would you want to separate it anyway since it will ultimately become delicious, gooey macaroons?  (_8(l) 

[Ninzerbean]

 Good point.

[Ninzerbean]

Thanks!

[DainiusGB]

 I think im really gonna have to make these!

[diy-guitar-guy]

or the traditional version. a potato and iceing sugar. mash the spud up and keep adding the sugar till it lookes right the make it into small balls and dip them in chocolate then coconut

[Creativeman]

Looks simply awesome, Ninzerbean!  Good job! Cman

[Ninzerbean]

Thanks Cman, glad to see  you back!

[evilbunnytoo]

while these cookies look yummie (and I will try to make them), the "latest trend" is apparently for french macaroons (or so all the magazines are touting lately), which are a bit different from "regular" macaroons.

I don't know how this is the latest trend (bakeries selling these things have been around for a while), but it's what the "trendsters" have latched on to lately.

[Ninzerbean]

I actually knew that and was disappointed when I found out as I don't like those macaroons at all, they stick to my teeth and are too sweet, at least the ones I have had. The news made me think of my macaroons and I thought I could squeak them into the whole macaroon idea.

[Jayefuu]

Post some to UK? :D

Definitely going to make these, I love macaroons. Rather fancy oven you have there :D