I’ve gotten in a habit of keeping unsweetened coconut flakes around as a pantry staple. It’s perfect for elevating simple cut-up fruit to “dessert” status, for spiking banana bread batter, sprinkling on yogurt and granola, you get the point. But its most important use is as a main ingredient in these delectable macaroons. I promise that even without taking it all the way to chocolate-dipped (which we almost never do), you won’t be able to put these down. Even my non-coconut loving friends can attest to how awesome these are!

Starting with David Lebovitz’s fantastic recipe, I doctored the ingredients a bit to cut back on sugar and add in whole wheat flour. You could also substitute the flour with almond or another nut meal for a gluten-free/Kosher-for-passover version. Do make these with your kids – older ones can probably do all the steps on their own, and it is a great excuse to teach how to separate eggs.

Preparation

Adapted from Ready for Dessert, David Lebovitz.

Makes about 30 macaroons.

You can refrigerate the batter for up to one week or freeze for as long as two months.

• 4 large (cage-free or other sustainably-produced) egg whites
• 3/4 cups sugar (raw/turbinado if possible)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2½ cups unsweetened coconut flakes
• ¼ cup whole wheat flour or almond meal
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (or almond extract if using almond meal)
• 2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped (optional)

Simple Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 350° F. In a large skillet, mix together the egg whites, sugar, salt, honey, coconut and flour. Heat over medium heat stirring constantly, scraping the bottom as you stir, for about 8-10 minutes. When the mixture just begins to scorch at the bottom, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Transfer to a bowl to cool to room temperature.

Sous Pastry Chef

Ready for Baking

(At this point, the mixture can be chilled for up to one week, or frozen for up to two months.)

Form the dough into 1 1/2-inch mounds with your fingers evenly spaced on a lined (parchment or silicone mat) baking sheet.

All Lined Up

Bake for 18-20 minutes, until deep golden brown. Cool completely.

Try not to eat too many at once.

[If you plan to go the chocolate-dipped route, melt the chocolate in a clean, dry bowl set over a pan of simmering water (or in a microwave.) Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap. Dip the bottoms of each cookie in the chocolate and set the cookies on the baking sheet. Refrigerate 5-10 minutes, until the chocolate is set.]