Cranberry Almond Coconut Macaroons
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What does this food offer in terms of nutrients and physical nourishment?
Protein (almonds)
Carbohydrates (coconut, cranberries, maple syrup)
Fat (coconut)
Fiber (coconut, cranberries)
Other
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What does this food offer in terms of mental satisfaction through flavor, texture, and experience?
Sweet
Chewy
Dense
Flaky
Chunky
Rich
Sticky
Tangy
Crispy
When I was in high school I worked at Children’s Ralph Lauren in an outlet mall where I made $7.50 an hour to help every wealthy tourist from the tri-state area dress their screaming toddlers. As you can imagine, the best part of my day (besides working with some of my best friends) was my break. Almost every shift, I would eat around the corner at Au Bon Pain. My go- to order was a pesto caprese salad, Nantucket Nectar iced-tea, and a massive Almond Cranberry Macaroon.
Since I haven’t been able to bring myself to eat at an Au Bon Pain since leaving that job, I decided to make my own version of that sweet, chewy coconut-y break time delight.
It turns out they’re really easy to make and are even better homemade!
Recipe note: As a warning, these macaroons are finicky and incredibly fragile. It takes a steady hand to dip them in chocolate so if you’re new to baking or if you are working with children, take your time and be extra careful<3
Allergens: Coconut, egg
Servings: 8 jumbo cookies
Prep time: 25 minutes (including 10 minutes soaking)
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 55 minutes
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup milk of choice
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 egg whites
1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup shaved or slivered almonds
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 tsp salt
Chocolate dip:
1 bar semi-sweet baking chocolate (found in baking not candy aisle)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, combine wet ingredients.
Fold in coconut flakes, almonds, and cranberries. Let soak for 10 minutes (this lets the coconut hydrate).
Using an ice cream scooper and your hand, pack the “dough” into a mound. If you don’t have an ice cream scooper, use a spoon or 1/4 measuring cup to gather the dough and with your hands, pack and form mounds. Arrange 8 mounds on baking tray about 2 inches apart.
Note: The dough will be crumbly and dense so you’ll have to pack it well for it to stay together in the oven.
Bake for 30 minutes or until tops turn golden brown. Remove from oven, let cool for 10 minutes before transferring to wire rack to finish cooling. Be careful, cookies will be soft and crumbly until they start to cool.
While cooling, melt chocolate in a small saucepan or double boiler and prep a baking sheet with fresh parchment paper.
Gently dip each macaroon in the chocolate, and/or drizzle over the top if you’d like. Place on baking sheet and place in fridge for 10-15 minutes or until chocolate is completely solid.
