Today, I’m sharing one of my new favorite treats that I discovered in Demark — coconut macaroons! Now, I say I just discovered them because they are SO MUCH better in Denmark. Crisp exterior, soft and gooey interior… nothing like that meringue-style, crisp macaroon we eat here in the states! They’re even easier to make, too!
These are perfectly decadent and go wonderfully with a cup of tea. I had one from a bakery in Denmark on my very first day, and it was the perfect cure to my jet lagged brain — it tasted like pure heaven. I came back to the states a week before my sisters did, and my aunt sent a couple more macaroons home with them to give to me as a special treat. You better believe I’ve been determined to replicate them at home ever since!
I ended up finding a recipe that looked just right on the blog, My Danish Kitchen, already translated to English, thank goodness! There are a few key differences to the US version of macaroons — the recipe uses whole eggs, not just egg whites, and it also contains some flour. Key ingredients to creating the perfect center, methinks!
I think these are best made a little bit bigger than your standard drop cookie size to ensure they have the perfect slightly gooey center. If you bake them too long, they end up being a bit chewy instead of gooey, but they are just as delicious either way.
You can make these plain, drizzled with chocolate, dipped in chocolate, or both drizzled AND dipped in chocolate. My first macaroon in Denmark was both drizzled and dipped, and my last two were plain. I loved both ways, so I just drizzled mine so they had a hint of chocolate flavor without overpowering the coconut. Chocolate drizzle always makes things look prettier, too, right?! 😉
These are a snap to make. I was able to have them done from start to finish in about a half hour — they’re that quick! They’re the perfect little pick-me-up treat throughout the day; I’ve been struggling to limit myself to 3 per day! 😉
Are there any desserts you’ve tried while traveling that you just had to find the recipe for?
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup unrefined cane sugar (I used vanilla sugar)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup unbleached all purpose flour (you can use almond flour or buckwheat if you're gluten intolerant)
- 3 cups unsweetened coconut (shredded or flaked is fine)
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, for drizzling (add another half cup if you want to dip them)
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Gently stir in the coconut until well mixed.
Scoop the dough by the heaping tablespoon onto the prepared cookie sheets, spaced about 2 inches apart.
Bake at 350ºF for 14-16 minutes, until lightly golden around the edges. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
Drizzle with melted dark chocolate chips (melted at 30-second intervals in the microwave) by filling a plastic bag with the melted chocolate and snipping off the corner.
Store in an airtight container.
adapted from My Danish Kitchen