Festive coconut macaroons

A tasty gluten and dairy free treat!

Macaroons (not to be confused with French macarons) are a retro treat that seems to be back in style. I’ve always been a fan of them but decided I wanted to try and make some that were a little more festive. The instructions below describe how to make a batch of a single colour; if you want to make two colours, divide the hot sugar syrup among two bowls, add the food colouring then and mix half the coconut into each one. You’ll also need to whisk each egg white separately before adding to the coconut. I chose red and green for Christmas but these would also be super dyed in Easter colours such as purple or yellow.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons (45 mL) water
• 2/3 cup (135 g) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) light corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) salt
• 4 1/4 cups (395 g) sweetened shredded coconut
• Red and/or green liquid food colouring (optional)
• 2 egg whites, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) vanilla extract
• 24 white chocolate kisses or other small candies

Method

• Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Combine water, sugar, corn syrup and salt in a small saucepan.
• Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and add a few drops of red or green food colouring (if using).
• Put the coconut in a bowl and pour hot syrup over top, stirring until evenly distributed. Let cool for 15 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350F then continue preparing cookie dough.
• In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites and vanilla extract together until foamy and thick. Gently fold egg whites into the coconut mixture.
• Use a cookie scoop or two teaspoons to scoop out golf ball sized mounds of the coconut mixture. Space the macaroons 2 inches apart.
• Bake until just starting to turn golden brown, 14-18 minutes, rotating baking sheet if necessary. Place baking sheets on racks and press a candy gently into the centre of each macaroon. Let cool completely.
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Makes 2 dozen cookies.