Spiced Chocolate Macaroons

Makes 2 dozen cookies.

Coconut macaroons get a flavor update with deep chocolate & our fragrant Kandy Spice. Alternatively, try with our Sichuan Five Spice! These cookies will please both your grown-up palate & your inner child! 

½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons excellent cocoa powder, such as Valrhona
2 teaspoons Kandy Spice or Sichuan Five Spice
¼ teaspoon (heaping) kosher salt
3½ cups shredded, unsweetened coconut 
4 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line 2 cookie sheets with baking parchment. Set aside. Set a large skillet over medium heat & add 2 cups of water to it.

Put the sugar, cocoa, Kandy Spice & salt into a large, metal mixing bowl; stir to combine.
Add the coconut & stir to mix in. Add the egg whites & stir until all the coconut is moistened
& evenly chocolaty looking (it will seem as though there’s not enough liquid, but there is).

The water in the skillet should now be simmering; turn the heat down to medium-low, & set the bowl filled with the coconut mixture into the water. Use a rubber spatula to stir the mixture continuously for 5–7 minutes, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl. The mixture will become moist & glossy; there will be a dull film on the sides of the bowl. Take the bowl out of the water. Stir in the vanilla Let the mixture rest for 30 minutes. 

Wet your hands, pinch off about 2 tablespoons of the coconut mixture. Gently press it into a ball that’s about the size of a golf ball. Set it on one of the cookie sheets. Repeat, placing the balls about 2 inches apart, until all the coconut mixture has been used (you will need to re-wet your hands a couple of times).

Bake for 5 minutes at 350˚, then turn the oven temperature down to 300˚ & bake for an additional 10–11 minutes. Let cool completely before serving. 

The macaroons are best on the day they’re baked. However, stored in an airtight container at room temperature, they’ll taste delicious for 3-4 days but will lose their crispy exterior.

Baker’s Tip
You can re-use baking parchment — brush off any loose crumbs, then give the paper a rinse under warm running water. Hang to dry. This will work many times on the same piece of parchment, so long as it’s not been used for baking something very oily or oozy.