Macaroons are a cinch to make. By macaroon I mean the American macaroon, which is typically a mixture of egg whites and shredded coconut shaped into balls and baked. The French version, though delicious, is a little more complicated with meringue and piping and cream fillings involved.
When I wanted a simple cookie recipe to make at school this past week, my Chocolate Chip Macaroon immediately came to mind. I usually make them during the holidays. I am not sure why I don’t make them the rest of the year considering how quick and easy they are to make. But now that I have the recipe out, I don’t plan to file it away again.
The macaroon was a great cookie to make with kids because it is essentially a 4 step process: measure, mix, form balls, and bake. The children can do almost all of the work with just a little guidance.
The hardest part for the children was separating the eggs. One boy was able to open the egg shell and catch the yolk in the half shell. I taught the other children to carefully break the egg into a small bowl and very gently lift the yolk out. The children loved squishing together the coconut balls. Then we baked the cookies until lightly browned. Crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Yum!
At home, I whipped up a more grown-up version of the macaroon— a lime flavored one. Perfect for those who don’t like to mix coconut and chocolate (ahem, Dana). Prep time took less than 10 minutes. Can’t beat that. With summer on the way, I think I’ll keep this recipe handy. Might even go nicely with a mojito…
Chocolate Chip Macaroons
Makes about 2 dozen1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar
2 large egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
pinch of kosher salt
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, mix together all ingredients with a fork.
2. With hands, shape bite-size balls of coconut mixture, about 1-inch round. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
3. Bake until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack. Will keep in an airtight container for several days.
Lime Macaroons
Follow Chocolate Chip Macaroon recipe with the following changes:
1. Substitute 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice for the vanilla extract
2. Add 1 Tbsp. lime zest (about 1 1/2 limes)