Coconut macaroons with dark chocolate ganache
Macaroons have always been one of my favorite cookies, although choosing a macaroon recipe can be difficult. It seems that almost every version offers a different approach. Simply compare any two macaroon recipes, and you’re likely to discover two different methods, as well as two noticeably different sets of ingredients. Many recipes require working with meringue — which doesn’t bother me — but I’ve discovered that maybe it’s not entirely necessary. When I was working the pastry station at the Martini House, our macaroon recipe was surprisingly simple, yet the results were fantastic.
I’ve adapted the Martini House recipe here, and I’ve also added dark chocolate ganache to the equation. As you might be able to tell from my photo above, I use a finely-shredded style of coconut for these cookies, which allows the ganache to form a smooth and relatively even coating. However, if I wanted to omit the ganache, I would use a more coarsely-shredded style of coconut, which would give the macaroons a more interesting texture in their naked splendor.
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Coconut Macaroon Recipe (yields about 24 cookies)
• Egg whites, 8 oz
• Sugar, 2-1/2 cups
• Honey, 2T
• Kosher salt, 1t
• Vanilla extract, 1t
• Shredded, unsweetened coconut, 5 cups
• Almond meal, 1 cup
• All-purpose flour, 1/2 cup
Coconut Macaroon Method
1. Combine the first five ingredients and whisk over a bain marie until the sugar dissolves (the best way to determine when sugar has dissolved is to rub the mixture between your fingertips). Be sure to heat the mixture slowly in order to avoid scrambling the egg whites.
2. Fold in the flours and the coconut until the mixture comes together. Wrap the dough and refrigerate overnight.
3. Portion the dough with a #24 scoop (the cookies should each weigh about 1-1/2 oz). Roll the dough and place the cookies onto a nonstick baking sheet (shaping the sticky dough is much easier with wet hands).
4. Bake the macaroons for about 25 minutes at 300 degrees. Remove and cool the cookies once they are golden brown on the bottom.
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Dark Chocolate Ganache Recipe (yields almost 2 cups)
• Heavy cream, 1 cup
• Dark cholocate chips, 1 cup (70% cocoa works well in this recipe)
Ganache Method
1. Scald the heavy cream in a saucepan, then remove it from the heat and add the chocolate chips. Whisk the mixture until the chips have completely dissolved.
2. Allow the ganache to cool slightly, then dip the top half of each macaroon to coat. The ganache will begin to set as it cools.
[Note: Ganache resembles a rich frosting, more so than a standard chocolate coating. If you want chocolate-coated macaroons, dip the cookies in pure melted chocolate.]
Those look dangerous!