These little treats are perfect as a small gift to bring to a Christmas party . They are not your average coconut macaroons, since they also have a great almond taste. The roasted nuts give them a crunchy texture, but at the same time, the condensed milk makes them chewy. I made them for the first time and was pleasantly surprised at how good they are. My first batch is almost gone, so I guess I have to make some more soon.
The condensed milk used in the recipe is the sweetened type you get in North America, it is also used to make Dulce de Leche. It is not what we know in Germany as "Kondensmilch". It is a lot thicker and also sweet. The correct translation would be "gezuckerte Kondensmilch".
Coconut-Almond Macaroons
(adapted from "Christmas Gifts from the Kitchen" by Georgeanne Brennan)
330g (3½ cups) coconut (I used half flaked and half ribboned coconut)
125g (1 cup) sliced almonds125ml (½ cup) sweetened condensed milk
½ teaspoon almond extract
2 egg whites
1 tablespoon sugar
pinch of salt
about 200g bittersweet chocolate
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180° Celsius). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Combine half of the coconut and the almonds on a baking sheet and toast until golden, about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.
Combine the cooled coconut with the remaining coconut, the condensed milk and the almond extract. In another bowl beat the egg whites with a mixer, add the salt and sugar and keep beating until soft peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.
With a large spoon or your hands drop the dough into mounds about 5 cm (2 inches) in diameter on the prepared baking sheets. The dough will be very sticky. Bake until golden brown for about 10 minutes. Let cool on wire rack.
Melt the chocolate with a double boiler and dip the bottoms of the cookies into the melted chocolate. Put the macaroons on a with parchment paper lined baking sheet and refrigerate until the chocolate has set.
Enjoy and Guten Appetit!
