Coconut macaroon medley

Pin It

Individually wrapped these would make a great little stocking fillers for foodies at Christmas. If you make them with this in mind, remember a liberal dose of willpower is an additional ingredient.

Of course, you don't have to gift them to people, just having a batch made up ready to give to Christmas visitors to munch on with a glass of cidre chaud or cup of tea is just as good. Or eating them all to yourself. Whichever you prefer.

I've dipped these macaroons in two different things to bring a bit more excitement to them, and it also makes them look very pretty (a very important consideration in sweets I think). There will be loads of variations and ideas on coatings for these little treats, but given the chill in the festive air the below recipe is for:
- Spiced orange chocolate dipped coconut macaroons
- White chocolate and cardamom dipped coconut macaroons

For 12-14 coconut macaroons:
Below is the basic macaroon mixture for all of the macaroons, and below that are the separate ingredients for their coatings:
2 egg whites, whisked until foaming but not stiff
100g golden caster sugar
125g dessicated/shredded coconut
A level tablespoon cornflour

For the spiced orange chocolate coating:
A quarter of a Terrys milk chocolate orange (you could use milk chocolate and add Grand Marnier, but I think this is much easier and as its Christmas time you're likely to have one of these knocking about)
Half a level teaspoon ground ginger
Half a level teaspoon ground cinnamon
A single stem ginger from a jar, drained and cut into very small dice

For the white chocolate and cardamom coating:
50g good quality white chocolate
4 cardamom pods, seeds removed from their skins, and the seeds crushed to a powder
A few tablespoons crushed hazelnuts

Method:
- Preheat your oven to 175 degrees
- In a bowl whisk your egg whites until they foam, then add all the other ingredients, combine thoroughly - the mixture looks quite dense and 'shredded' and is a bit sticky, you might think it doesnt look or feel like it will bind well but dont worry
- Make a ball shaped macaroon using about a tablespoon full of the mixture, and press onto a lined and lightly buttered baking sheet, pressing down gently to create domes. Repeat until all are done then place into the oven for 12 minutes. Once lightly golden topped remove them from the oven and set aside on a wire cooling rack
- While they are cooling you can make your coatings one at a time in a ban marie (simply a glass bowl on top of a pan of simmering water - note the water mustnt touch the base of the glass bowl).

When the macaroons are cooled it's time for the toppings
- In a glass bowl place the orange chocolate, cinnamon and ground ginger, and leave to melt over the simmering pan of water, use a teaspoon to combine the spices with the chocolate, once this has happened taste the mixture to check the spicing, you might want more - add them as you like
 - Lay out a sheet of baking paper
- Take each macaroon in your fingers and dome side down, wipe it through the chocolate to cover half of the top of the macaroon. Lay it onto the baking paper and sprinkle some of the stem ginger dice over the melted chocolate, which it will stick to. Repeat until you've done half the macaroons
- Clean the orange chocolate bowl and put it back on the simmering pan of water, add the white chocolate and the ground cardammom, and once it's melted mix together with a teaspoon and coat the remaining macaroons, laying them out on the baking paper and then scatter the crushed hazlenuts over the white chocolate

- Wait for them to cool and the chocolate to set before eating (this is optional, but I like them cold so you get to break through the chocolate)