Chocolate Covered Malibu Coconut Marcaroon Cookies

Coconut and Coconut Rum

Oh my it smells heavenly in here!

I have been surfing around the Internet trying to come up with a good recipe for Coconut Macaroons. A couple of weeks back we made coconut macaroon cupcakes and they were quite good. Today we were looking for a little more chewy a consistency to be topped off with some chocolate dipping.

I found this a Chewy Coconut Macaroons recipe in my travels  at the Best Ever Cookie Collection Website that I used as inspiration and a basis for my recipe. When I started adding extra flavors including coconut rum, I think I messed around with the delicate balance and thinned the batter a little too much. I figure if I'm going to add flavor, I'm going to add flavor. So I found that after baking the first batch I needed to add a little flour to the recipe to get back on track. My first batch was a little flat, and I can see the second sheet that went in the oven, with the addition of some flour, really look a little more substantial. I even took a photo to compare.

Yes, I can admit my own mistakes and show them to you because I believe cooking and baking is all a learning experience. Nope, I don't get this right all the time. Maybe I should put all my failures on here too!

Below you will find the recipe after I played around with it a bit.

Preparation of the baking sheets is important. Not only did I line them with parchment paper, I also buttered them per the original recipe. I think that dealing with egg whites you need a little more extra effort.

I first combined the coconut, condensed milk, salt, vanilla and almond extracts, along with the coconut rum. I used a rubber spatula to combine all of the ingredients. I think that almond extract is one of the best smells in baking. Adding the coconut rum and stirring it together? Well that was over the top. It also made the whole house smell so good while it baked and every time I opened or closed the oven door. . . well wow! I set this aside and began work on the meringue. 

I always use a Pyrex measuring cup with a spout to put my egg whites in, separating the yolk from the white with the shell over the cup. I then put the whites in the fridge to chill, along with my metal bowl and whisk.

The original recipe called for cream of tartar and who am I to disagree? So I went out and bought some but was curious what this stuff does. According to the Internet (which sometimes does have true facts), it's really potassium hydrogen tartrate, a byproduct of wine making from the powder that forms in the wine barrels during fermentation. Well, adding the fact we put rum in this, I'm a true lush! This acid is actually one of the major ingredients in baking powder so that baked goods rise. For egg whites, it increases the stability and volume. In candies it can add a creamier texture and is prevents the crystallization of cooked sugar.

I beat the egg whites on medium in the chilled bowl with the cream of tartar for about 2 minutes, waiting until the eggs were foamy. I then added some more speed, going for a higher setting, and let the mixture form soft peaks. I gradually added the sugar and beat until stiff peaks formed.

This was added to the coconut flake mixture we made earlier, folding the egg whites in gently in batches. I dropped the batter in rounded tablespoons on the lined cookie sheets. This is when I discovered that the whole thing was a little too runny so I added the flour after the first batch was baked. Again, please refer to the Before and After photo.

I baked these, one sheet at a time, in the middle of the oven, for about 18 minutes or so, checking for a golden brown glow. I let the cookies cool for a couple of minutes and transferred to a baking rack. While they cooled I melted the chocolate chips in a double boiler and then dipped the cooled cookies, using the back sides of my original parchment paper (see I can reuse and repurpose!).

Next time I will use a little more chocolate, I could only dip them in partially but I think with all of the flavors that might be better. The recipe made 28 cookies but I think I could get 32 if I ration next time!

Ingredients:

1 package (14 ounces) sweetened shredded coconut
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1/4 tsp of salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon almond extract
1 Tablespoon coconut rum (I used Malibu Black)
4 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons flour
1 package (12 ounces) milk chocolate chips (next time I am getting a larger pack!)

Directions:

• Combine the coconut, condensed milk, salt, extracts and rum in a bowl and set aside.
• Using a chilled bowl and whisk, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Increase speed to a medium high and beat until soft peaks form. Add the sugar slowly and beat until stiff peaks form.
• Fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture in batches. Add flour.
• Drop onto prepared baking sheets (lined with parchment and buttered) by rounded tablespoons leaving about 1 1/2 inches between cookies.
• Bake in a 325 degree oven for approximately 18 minutes, checking to make sure they are a little bit golden.
• Cool on sheet for about five minutes, transfer to racks to cool completely.
• Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler. Dip each cooled cookie into the chocolate and let cool.
• Store the cookies in an airtight container.