We Put an End to Overly Sweet Macaroons

Macaroons are a delicious, low-maintenance cookie. No, not macarons—those are the opposite. I’m talking about the coconut-packed, flourless (naturally gluten-free), one-bowl wonder that I think deserves more attention. Macaroons are exactly the type of cookie I turn to when I want to keep my baking time and effort to a minimum. Our Coconut-Almond Macaroons with Cherry Preserves deliver on those promises and then some.

An even simpler macaroon

In the past, I’ve had upsetting experiences with some macaroon recipes. The egg whites “seep” in the oven—a pedestal of oozed-out sugary egg white develops on the bottom of the cookie while it bakes in the oven. It’s not like it’s foul tasting, but it ruins the experience for me. I want a perky, perfectly round coconut cookie. A whipped egg white foam can help, but it’s annoying to make. Seeing that our recipe called for plain, un-whipped whites worried me, but the prospect of never having to whip whites for macaroons was too tempting to resist.

Our macaroons are truly one-bowl. Add the coconut to a food processor to chop. Then add in all of the other ingredients—the egg whites, sugar, jam (we haven’t even discussed the jam yet!) and a few other helpers. Pulse the mixture until mostly combined and you’re ready to scoop. The mixture was crumbly but moist; I was able to scoop it up with my disher without it falling apart.

The simple drop-and-chop mixing method in the food processor made quick work of these macaroons, but would the mixture hold up? All there was left to do was cross my fingers and hope that the egg whites wouldn’t ooze. Well, folks, they didn’t. These were the plump, lightly toasted macaroons I was looking for. Aside from their good looks, the flavor is a combination unlike any I’ve had before.

Full of flavor, not sugar

You’re familiar with sweetened flaked coconut. It’s super soft, bright white, and absolutely crusted with sugar. Leave that bag in the baking aisle. Instead, our recipe uses unsweetened shredded coconut. (The ingredient list will just say “coconut.”) It’ll feel drier and crunchier to the touch, but don’t worry, it’ll soften up in the mixture.

The beautiful thing about using this type of coconut is that you are in control of how sweet your macaroons will be. In our recipe, we don’t rely on sugar for sweetness. We use 1/4 cup of sugar and add a couple tablespoons of cherry jam. It’s a great way to balance the sweetness with a bit of bright acidity. Paired with a small dose of sliced almonds and our macaroons spoil you with texture, flavor, and just the right amount of sweetness.

The last bold flavor we use is a complete twist. As you drop ingredients into the food processor, you’ll come to aniseed—and you will question this addition. You’ll likely wonder if you can skip it; it’s only a teaspoon after all. Well, don’t. The licorice-y aniseed flavor is brilliantly aromatic. It plays well off of the fruit, complements the coconut and also acts as a foil for the sweetness. The finished cookie is a perfectly balanced, slightly fruity and not-so-sweet coconut treat. Everyone who tries one will ask you what that unique flavor is, and you’ll owe it all to aniseed.

Coconut-fans, you’ll be looking for these:

• Coconut-Saffron Macaroons
• Coconut Layer Cake
• (My favorite) Almond-Coconut Cake with Cherries and Pistachios

Baking Tip of the Week: No food processor, no prob

I know food processors are pretty common these days, but I won’t judge you if you don’t have one in your kitchen. I fully believe that you should be able to try out a recipe even if you don’t have a certain piece of equipment, and that goes for these macaroons. That said, the texture might be slightly different, but not problematic.

The food processor does double duty in this recipe; it chops and it mixes. That’s convenient, but it’s nothing you can’t do yourself. If you don’t have a food processor, all you need to do is get that coconut chopped first. The best way to do this is to work in batches so you don’t make a mess, and it allows you to see if you’re chopping the coconut into evenly sized pieces.

Get your largest cutting board, and working about 1/2 cup at a time, rock a large chef’s knife or thin cleaver through the pile back and forth until the pieces are fine. Don’t get lazy here, if the pieces are left too large then there won’t be as much surface area to capture the egg white and you risk getting that ooze I was talking about earlier. Pour that batch into a large mixing bowl and work on chopping the next half-cup.

Once all the coconut pieces are in the mixing bowl, add the egg whites, sugar, salt and aniseed and work them in with a rubber spatula or, if you have some food-service gloves, use your hands. Make sure the egg whites are evenly distributed. Add in the rest of the ingredients and work them in. Scoop and bake as directed. Success, with no fancy equipment needed.

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Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

Allie Chantorn Reinmann is a Digital Staff Writer for Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street. She’s a Thai-American chef who earned her diploma for Pastry and Baking Arts at The Institute of Culinary Education and worked professionally for over a decade honing her craft in New York City at places like Balthazar, Bien Cuit, The Chocolate Room, Billy’s Bakery and Whole Foods. Allie took her know-how from the kitchen to the internet, writing about food full-time at Lifehacker for three years and starting her own YouTube channel, ThaiNYbites. You can find her whipping up baked goods for cafés around Brooklyn, building wedding cakes and trying her hand (feet?) at marathon running. She’s working on her debut cookbook and lives in Brooklyn, NY.