Chocolate Chip-Coconut Macaroons

Chocolate Chip-Coconut Macaroons
Source: Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2006 ed.), pg. 120.

These are wonderful macaroons and I could not stay out of them. Michael, who always wants to embellish recipes, said he thought they would be good with almonds. He doesn't seem to understand that the whole purpose of my blog is to make the recipes the way Maida Heatter wrote them! Anyway, I agreed that I would try one batch with the almonds. He toasted some for me and I added it. For me, they were not as good. Score one for Maida! These are delicious exactly the way she wrote the recipe!

1/3 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1 TBS. butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs (large)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
10 1/2 oz. (4 loosely packed cups) shredded coconut
6 oz. (1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate morsels

Preheat oven to 325. Line cookie sheets with aluminum foil.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.

Melt the butter in a small pan over low heat. Set aside to cool but do not let it harden.

 

In a mixer bowl, add the sugar to the eggs and beat at high speed for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is almost white.

Lower the speed and add the sifted dry ingredients. Beat only until incorporated.

Add the liquid butter and fold it in.

Add the vanilla, folding it in.

Add the coconut, fold in.

Add the chocolate chips.

Fold in until mixed.

Use a rounded teaspoon of the mixture and place them 1 1/2 inches apart on the aluminum foil.

Bake two sheets at a time, reversing about half-way to ensure even browning. Bake for about 12-18 minutes until parts of the top of the cookie is lightly golden - some parts of the cookie will still be white.

Transfer to a cooling rack with a spatula. If baking one sheet at a time, use the lower rack.

Glaze

6 oz. semisweet chocolate

Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler.

Cover one or two cookie sheets with aluminum foil or wax paper.

Take a cooled cookie and dip the bottom in the chocolate. You can use a knife or spatula to smooth the chocolate in a thin layer if needed.

Place the cookies chocolate side down on the lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate until firm. Store the macaroons in an air-tight container. They are best stored in the refrigerator and served cold.

Chocolate Coconut Macaroons

Chocolate Coconut Macaroons
Source: Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2006 ed.), pg. 136.

Soft, chewy and delicious! I liked these macaroons better than the Bittersweet Chocolate Macaroons that I made previously. For me, macaroons are supposed to have coconut in them! These are addictive and won't stay around long. 

4 oz. semisweet chocolate
1 oz. unsweetened chocolate
2 egg whites, room temperature
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
7 oz. (2 2/3 cups) shredded coconut 

Adjust two racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two 12 x 15 inch cookie sheets with aluminum foil.

Break up the chocolates and place them in the top of a double boiler over hot water on moderate heat. When the chocolate has melted, set aside and cool to room temperature.

Beat the egg whites with the salt until they hold a firm peak when the beaters are raised.

On low speed add the sugar 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, pausing 10 seconds between additions. Add the vanilla.

Increase the speed to high and beat for about 5 minutes more until the meringue is very stiff.

Reduce the speed to low and add the cooled chocolate, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula and beating only until mixed.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and, with a rubber or wooden spatula, fold in the coconut.

Use a rounded teaspoon of the mixture for each cookie. Place the mounds 1 inch apart on the foil, forming 15 cookies on each sheet.

Bake for about 16 minutes, reversing the sheets top to bottom and front to back once to insure even baking. When the macaroons are done they should feel dry on the outside but must remain soft in the centers. Transfer to a rack to cool with a metal spatula. Raise the racks as high as you can (I used two stacked on top of the other) because they need plenty of room for air to circulate underneath, or steam forms on the bottom and keeps the bottoms of the cookies from being as dry as they should be.

They may be stored airtight or only loosely covered. If they feel too soft/moist when they have cooled, let them dry out by storing them so the air can get to them.

Variations:

Chocolate-Nut Coconut Macaroons: Use abot 1/2 to 3/4 cup pecans, cut into medium-size pieces, and fold them in along with the coconut.

Chocolate Coconut Macaroons with Chocolate Chips: Use about 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate morsels and fold them in along with the coconut.

Bittersweet Chocolate Macaroons

Bittersweet Chocolate Macaroons
Source: Maida Heatter's Brand-New Book of Great Cookies (Random House, 1995 ed.), pg. 212.

I thought all macaroons had coconut in them but this recipe proved me wrong. It does have the consistency of coconut - very chewy and moist. True to their name, they are bittersweet so if you like macaroons that are not overly sweet, you might like these.

7 oz. (1 1/3 cups blanched almonds
1 oz. semisweet chocolate
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup plus 2 TBS. unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch process)
Pinch of salt
3 egg whites

Adjust two racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with baking parchment or with foil, shiny side up. Set aside.

Toast the almonds in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Remove 12 of the almonds. Chop them into small pieces (they will be used to sprinkle on top of the macaroons before baking). Set aside.

Place remaining almonds in a food processor fitted with a metal chopping blade.

Chop the semisweet chocolate and add it to the processor bowl. Add the sugar, cocoa and salt.

Pulse a few times and then process for about 30 seconds until the almonds are fine.

With the motor running, add the egg whites through the feed tube and process until mixed.

Shape the mixture into round cookies (you can use a pastry bag, a teaspoon or scooper for this). Place them about an inch apart on the foil.

Sprinkle the tops with the reserved chopped nuts.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, reversing the sheets top to bottom and front to back once during baking. When done, the macaroons should feel soft but dry, not sticky. Do not overbake. Transfer to a cooling rack with a metal spatula. Store in an airtight container.