Don’t you hate it when a product you like is discontinued? When I posted this Pesach (Passover) macaroons recipe two years ago, I used Land o’ Lakes whippable pasteurized egg whites, which vanished several months later. Time to revisit these sweet fat-free (except for coconut’s natural fat) bites of air. They’re simple to make and perfect for everyone, anytime.
As I recounted before, this recipe is old — coconut was sold in 3.5 ounce cans then — and was given to me by a Jewish friend whose family used it. The strictly observant won’t use the vanilla extract at Passover because it’s fermented, but an equal amount of citrus juice can stand in for flavoring or KFP vanilla powder can be used.
A hand mixer is ideal for this recipe and since the only leavening is air beaten into the whites, it’s especially important to make sure the beaters and bowl are free of any trace of residual grease, which inhibits beating whites. If you can, use a bit of white vinegar as Julia recommended to wipe down the beaters and bowl first to ensure no grease remains.
When I told Mr. Knife Skills a few years ago that I enjoy the challenges of cooking and baking for Passover he laughed and said, “That’s because you’re new to it. Let’s revisit this conversation in 10 or 20 years.” Who knows if either of us will be around then, but revisiting a favorite cookie I make all year is well within my scope.
Passover Coconut Macaroons
2 large egg whites
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
2/3 cup / 140g sugar
half of a 7-oz bag of shredded coconut /use 100g
Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325F/165C/Gas 3. Grease a baking sheet or line with parchment and set aside.
Put the egg whites, vanilla and salt in a medium bowl — a deep, narrow one works best with only 2 whites — and beat to the soft peak stage.
Gradually add the sugar, beating constantly, until the whites reach the stiff peak stage. Gently fold in the coconut.
Drop by the teaspoon or tablespoon, as you prefer, on the prepared baking sheet. [They don't spread much, but become quite puffily large.] Bake one sheet at a time for 15 to 20 minutes until nicely colored and puffed. [These need 18 to 19 minutes in my oven ~ ella]
They will be very fragile right out of the oven, so let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring gently to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.
Yield: 24 – 30 cookies
If you’re making macaroons for a crowd, 6x this recipe will yield 150 cookies.
Ella’s Tips: Don’t forget that eggs separate better when cold but whites whip faster at room temperature. For general substitutions for Passover baking, I’ve added a link to the Parve Baker on the Useful Links page under Reference and Problem Solving.
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
These sound wonderful, even if you’re not baking for Passover!
Kathy G’s last blog post..Snuff It
They sure are. I’ve been making them since long before I baked for Passover. So easy!
When we got married 30 years ago, I too enjoyed the challenges of cooking for Passover.
My approach was to cook foods that my husband’s grandmother would never have made for fear of comparisons. I had Joan Nathan’s Jewish Holiday Kitchen in which she included a “Persian Haroset.” My husband did indeed say it was not like his grandmother’s!
That one is most elaborate with dates, pistachios, almonds, apples, pomegranate, orange, banana, red wine, vinegar, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, and black pepper. These days, I usually just make a traditional Ashkenazic apple-nut version.
The macaroons from that book are made with ground almonds. I’ve made nearly every year and they are very good. Every year, we say to each other that we should eat haroset and those macaroons at others times, but they remain only for pesach.
tess’s last blog post..Miso Marinated Lamb and Stir-fried Rice
I have that cookbook, Tess, and just looked at the macaroons recipe. I just might try the hazlenut variation and drizzle them with chocolate, if time allows. With Easter and Passover coinciding again this year (as they should every year, imo) it’s an awful lot of preparation for big meals. Thanks for the tip!
When he wants his mother’s food, he cooks it. He’s an excellent cook and when it’s not quite like mom’s, he can’t blame me.
LOL.
Hey, it was/might still be a great cookbook for learning about Eastern European Jewish cooking for a newcomer.
I grew up in the UP where there were no ethnic cultures except Finns, Pols, Swedes (included other Scandinavians), French, and “Indians” now called native Americans.
(I think that Joan Nathan’s book has been revised a bit over the years?)
My husband cooks too. But he is a very-much-follow the recipe (formula) sort of cook and he is surprisingly unfamiliar with Kosher for Passover. His mother married a non-practicing Catholic, and she was a sort of “lost sheep” among her, now that she is dead, ever more orthodox family.
tess’s last blog post..Grilled Miso Marinated Salmon
Oh, I think it’s a wonderful cookbook, tess. It taught me how to freeze latkes, which we both love and I do make, but with the heresy of the processor.
I’ve eaten Jewish food all my life since I’ve always lived in and around diverse big cities until moving to New England, which I have come to absolutely detest. I hadn’t gotten into cooking it, although I baked a lot of things. I have a post here you might enjoy called Holidays with Joan Nathan with a link to a discussion with her in blog comments at the Times. Rosh Hashana is the focus but others are touched upon too.
Wow, these coconut macarons are gorgeous. I made them over Christmas, very popular even I found mine were not perfect yet. They were gone very quickly. I have to revisit and try your version. Thanks for the post.
Janet Ching’s last blog post..kinpira gobo, japanese braised burdock root (牛蒡)
Oh, do try them Janet. I was able to make them when I still couldn’t cook at all or bake very much. I like that they’re not full of coconut like haystacks, just little bites of sugary air. (And I overlook the sugar in exchange for fat-free!)
Hi Janet Ching!
This recipe looks so much good!!! The sedars I have been to, the coconut macaroons are usually purchased, (or catered), and I suppose my teeth have issues with coconut bits caught in my teeth…
tess’s last blog post..Grilled Miso Marinated Salmon