Penny Eisenberg: Recipe - Fudgy Coconut Macaroons

Yummm

Fudgy Coconut Macaroons
by Penny Eisenberg
from Light Jewish Holiday Desserts

Coconut has a tendency to either fluff, or pack when it is measured in cups. Because of this, the moistness of the cookies will change every time you make them, unless the coconut is weighed and remains constant. I like these macaroons on the underdone side so that they are slightly fudgy in the middle. The timing is crucial, and you will have to experiment to see how long to cook them in your oven. If using sweetened coconut, see the variation at the bottom of the recipe. I have a similar recipe in my book, Passover Desserts, but these are more fudgy, and easier to make than those. Both have the same amount of fat, if you make the cookies the same size. Macaroons can be made with or without potato starch or matzo cake meal. Those made with neither will be moist and soft, but it will be easier to either under or over-bake them. Those with potato starch will be slightly firmer, and those with matzo cake meal will be slightly chewier, my personal preference.

Serve on: Passover, Purim, Shabbat
Pareve
Makes 32 cookies

9 ounces unsweetened coconut (about 3-1/2 cups, lightly packed)
1/4 cup Passover cocoa (Dutch-process if you can find it)
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons matzo cake meal, or potato starch, optional
4 large egg whites, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon Passover vanilla extract or water
1/4 cup honey

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F, with oven shelves in the middle and lower third of the oven. Place parchment paper on 2 cookie sheets. Put the coconut, cocoa, sugar, and matzo meal (if using) , in a food processor bowl. Pulse-process until the coconut is finely ground, about 10 to 20 seconds. Add the egg whites, vanilla, and honey. Process until everything is well mixed, 10 to 20 seconds.

Spoon the mixture onto the cookie sheets by well-rounded teaspoonful, leaving 1 inch between cookies. Moisten hands, and shape the mounds into pyramids. Bake the cookies for 6 minutes. Switch the position of the cookie sheets, top to bottom, and continue to cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or just until they are dull and there are no beads of moisture showing on the cookies. Slide the parchment onto cooling racks, and let the cookies cool before eating. Cookies become moister and sweeter when frozen.

Cookies can be made 1 day ahead, or frozen for 3 months.

Nutritional notes per serving: 53 Calories, 1.5g Fat (24%), 0mg Cholesterol, 8g Carbohydrates, 1g Protein, 8mg Sodium, 1g Fiber

RDA % - 0% Vitamin A, 0% Vitamin C, 0% Calcium, 1% Iron

Variation: Sweetened coconut is sweeter and much moister than unsweetened coconut, so the recipe needs to be modified. Use these ingredients, and the same technique as above:

10 ounces sweetened coconut (3-1/2 cups)
1/4 cup Passover cocoa (Dutch-process if possible)
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons matzo cake meal, or potato starch
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon Passover vanilla extract extract, or water
1/4 cup honey