It's probably not the most enjoyable or easy-going thing to be sitting in a car with your L-licensed daughter at the wheel... at anytime, really. Especially when she misses the exit on a roundabout and does a full 360 - without signalling - with the foot on the accelerator. Yet my parents have managed to live through every one of my driving mishaps so far and in doing so have perfected their best fake I'm-calm-this-will-be-fine expressions, which I completely appreciate.
All of which is really a semi-related lead in to these coconut macaroons. Stressful situations call for easy sweet treats. Says me. And this is what these cookies are.
Coconut is one of my mom's favorite things, and these cookies are basically shredded coconut mixed together with some sugar and an egg white. The egg white is there to to bind everything together and to convince you that it's really a healthy cookie.
But I don't have to explain these cookies to you. You know these cookies, right? They're sweet and chewy and completely over the top coconutty. The bittersweet chocolate balances the sweetness nicely. Coconut and chocolate are classic. But you know all that.
And you probably already have a coconut macaroon recipe you use incessantly. This is the one I use. I hope you'll try it, it comes out perfect every time.
It's also a really great incentive for another drive.
Coconut Macaroons
Adapted from Dessert for Two
Makes 6-8 cookies
1 cup dessicated unsweetened coconut
3 1/2 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp flour
1/8 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
1 large egg white
50g bittersweet chocolate (optional)
Preheat oven to 175F/350C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix all the ingredients except the chocolate together in a medium bowl. Use a spoon to scoop out tablespoon sized balls of the mixture and put it in a heap on the baking sheet, forming a rough mound of dough. Don't try to compact it so that you get those bronzed edges. You'll get about 6-8 cookies, depending on the size you make them.
Put the cookies into the oven and lower the temperature to 160C/325F. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges and tips are golden brown. Take out and let cool completely. Melt the chocolate over a double-boiler and dip each cookie bottom into the chocolate. Leave to set on a cooling rack.