So You Need Dessert

Macaroons in next to no time. Seriously.

Here is a quick coconut macaroon recipe, with a few small tweaks.

First thing, I boost the caramelization by cooking the sweetened condensed milk before mixing it with the coconut. I also use a mixture of dessicated coconut and sweetened coconut to cut down on the sweetness and add a little variety, texturally.

(Dessicated and texturally really aren’t the most alluring cooking descriptors, are they?)

Anyhoo, the recipe will work just fine if you use sweetened coconut and don’t cook the sweetened condensed milk in advance.

Coconut Macaroons

What You’ll Need:

1 15-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (about 1 1/3 cup)

3 cups sweetened coconut

1 cup dessicated coconut

2 teaspoons vanilla

pinch of salt

Chocolate for melting, dipping or drizzling over the macaroons.

What You’ll Do:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Pour the sweetened condensed milk into a heat-proof bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap (there should be a small gap). Microwave on medium power for 1 minute, stir, then repeat the heat and stir two times for 30 second blasts; after that use only 10 second blasts, until the mixture begins to turn faint light brown. At this point, you may be tempted to keep going. I was. Then the entire thing bubbled over and I spent 15 minutes cleaning up the microwave…Your goal is to being the caramelization process, not complete it.

3. Pour the molten milk into a large bowl, let it cool slightly, then stir in the coconut and vanilla. I would also add a pinch of salt, but it isn’t traditional. Stir until well-blended. Scoop onto the cookie sheet in shape and size you wish. You can even shape them with your hands, although you’ll went to wet your hands slightly to prevent sticking.

4. Bake for 8 to 14 minutes, switching the pans top to bottom and back to front once. You will know yours are done when they turn golden on the bottom and just begin to get some color in places on the top.

5. Let cool. Dip in chocolate if you are not a heathen. Only heathens eat macaroons without dipping them in chocolate. Ohhhhh, how I kid.

Whatever holidays you celebrate, pretend to celebrate, or have nothing to do with and just want to eat cookies, enjoy!

Bosco wishes you the very best of holidays, and hopes you drop a lot of food on the floor.