Ambrosia Macaroons

My cookie game had to be on point today with two cookie exchanges. Here's how it works: make, bake and take a few dozen homemade cookies, share and bring a few back of the other cookies have shared. We now have several dozen cookies at home. Yikes!!

Here is the ambrosia macaroons recipe I created for this cookie-themed day. There is a recipe on Epicurious.com that inspired me. But I made about half a dozen changes, so now it's my own recipe...and yours, too, if you like.

A good option if you are navigating certain dietary considerations. Gluten- and nut-free. Dairy-free with a butter substitute. And DEE-licious!

Ambrosia Macaroons

--these should make 60-72 macaroons, depending on size

-6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

-Solid coconut cream from 1 14-ounce can high-fat coconut milk. When testing again, I think one can leave about 1/5 left in the can, as these can get oily.
-1 to 1 1/4 cup sugar (less is still pretty sweet!)
-1/8 teaspoon salt
-4 large eggs

-3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries AKA craisins

-1 tablespoon finely grated fresh orange peel or 3 tablespoons dried orange peel
-1 teaspoon honey and 2 tablespoons water to soak dried craisins and dried orange peel (I put craisins, peel and liquids in microwave 30 seconds, then cooled before adding to other ingredients)

-1.2-ounce bag freeze-dried raspberries (bought at Trader Joe's. Freeze-dried pineapple from Target or other dry versions of fruits in ambrosia also work.)

-1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla, to give a marshmallow flavor

-8 cups loosely packed sweetened flaked coconut (about 1 1/3 bags using a 14-ounce package or just under 3 bags of 7-ounce packages)  mix with dry unsweetened coconut to make less sweet. 

-Optional ingredient: 1/2 cup sliced almonds

Position rack(s) in center of oven; preheat to 325°F. If your oven runs hot, consider setting oven between 300 and 325°F. Line rimmed baking sheets with parchment or silicone pads*. Using electric mixer-preferred, but not necessary, beat butter and coconut fat in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar and salt; beat until blended. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Mix in flavoring, dried fruit, soaked orange peel, then coconut. Drop batter onto sheets by tablespoonfuls, spacing 1 1/2 inches apart.

Bake macaroons until very light brown-almost the color of caramel-on bottom and browned in spots, 25 to 30 minutes. They need to be light brown on the bottom, or they will tend to fall apart. Make sure to switch position of macaroons halfway through if using two racks. Watch very carefully using an oven light if you have one. These can go from golden to burnt dark brown in an instant!!! Cool completely on parchment or silicone before transferring.

*If you don't have silicone pads or parchment paper, try to following: Butter a baking sheet, then line with foil and lightly butter and flour foil, knocking off excess flour. Read more about this tip.


Photo: Romulo Yanes