Blue Ribbon Coconut Macaroons

I think I can say with some degree of certainty that I'd never had a coconut macaroon before I made a batch of them a couple of weeks ago.

 I've still yet to have a macaron, but that's a story of me being a foodie disappointment for another day.

Nope, today we're talking about macaroons- those heaped piles of coconut that I randomly decided to try my hand at recently.

It wasn't until macarons got so insanely popular and ubiquitous and I began to hear confusion about macarons vs macaroons relatively regularly in conversation (side note: what kinds of conversations am I having that this is even a thing??) that I really gave the coconut macaroon much of a thought at all.

I'd say I'm a fan of coconut in general, in both sweet and savory applications.  What's not to like?  Even the unsweetened variety is delicious and certainly has a place in my kitchen.  I was contemplating what kind of cookies I could make with my daughter over the Christmas break this year when I spied a bag of sweetened coconut in my pantry.  Then I realized I had a can of sweetened condensed milk that had been lurking in the back of my pantry for awhile.

And that was the quite uneventful beginning of my very delicious macaroon journey.  :-)

Macaroons are simple cookies with few ingredients- the recipe called for five, if you count the salt.  There isn't any rolling or cutting or anything crazy.  Mix, chill, scoop.

One of those very easy very fulfilling cookie recipes.

I wish there was something more exciting about it to share with you.  

Or maybe I don't- the simplicity is part of the beauty of these gems.

Never having tried another macaroon in my life I have nothing at all to compare these to- but I can tell you that I had very happy taste buds.  The outside was toasty and slightly crisp, the inside chewy while simultaneously light and dense.

In short- heavenly with a cup of coffee, and a new favorite.

Blue Ribbon Coconut Macaroons

Modified slightly from Allrecipes.com

2/3 C all-purpose flour

14 oz bag flaked sweetened coconut

1/4 tsp salt

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, coconut and salt. Stir in the sweetened condensed milk,  vanilla, and almond using your hands until well blended. Chill for 1 hour.

3. Use an ice cream scoop to drop dough onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about golf ball size.

4. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until coconut is toasted.