Ina Garten's Macaroons

i say, bring a little tropical treat to your trays...say that 3 times real fast.

Ina's Macaroons...

they're sweet, but not too sweet. chewy, but not mooshy. simple, yet delicate.

they are Ina's. nuff said...

AND, i might add (admit!) they keep well. i made these about 2 weeks ago and i just so happen to come across one in the fridge, one that got left behind. to my surprise it was fabulous. 2 weeks later!!! i'll be the first to say, there's nothing like a fresh macaroon with it's crispy edges and soft inside, but this 2 week old, left behind little tropical pile of coconut was no joke.

don't leave these off your party platters. they are so easy and a quick add to your holiday cookie line up.

to the right is an example of the macaroon cooked on parchment. i think the base was just s smidge darker and they spread ever so slightly. i couldn't really tell you which i like better, only that i could fit more on the pan with the parchment due to the fact that my silpat is so small. i actually prefer cooking with parchment just for the clean up fact...wad it up and toss (i do try to reuse when possible). for these i wanted to make sure there would be NO sticking, so i also lightly buttered the paper (don't know if that was necessary, but better safe than sorry.

here you see the results on the sipat. anyway you decide they will come out great.

i found this recipe HERE at the food network site while searching around for an easy macaroon recipe. i have copied it for you below and you can check out the comments of others there (here).
much love and thanks always for Ina and all her cooking.

Ingredients
14 ounces sweetened shredded coconut (plus extra. c-notes***)
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Combine the coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Whip the egg whites and salt on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until they make medium-firm peaks. Carefully fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.
***Drop the batter onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper using either a 1 3/4-inch diameter ice cream scoop, or 2 teaspoons. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and serve.

***MY NOTES...i did not use an ice cream scoop...i used a fork so i could sort of fluff up the coconut. i didn't want them to be too wet. if you think it looks a bit too runny go ahead and add some more coconut. i put in a little extra in the beginning. then after each batch i added a little more and a little more. mine came out great from the first batch to the very last...and i probably got quite a few more cookies out of the deal.

ENJOY !!!...and go ahead and hide some from yourself. you'll come across them days, weeks later and be surprised at how well they hold up.

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