Coconut Macaroons

It's up to you.

9 detailed steps, from preparation to service.

1. Prepare the baking tray and oven

   Turn the oven on at 175 °C, conventional oven setting (no fan), and place an oven rack in the middle. Cover a large baking sheet. Weigh 200 g grated coconut and 120 g sugar in two bowls. Also prepare 1 teaspoon of vanilla, a salad bowl, a fork and a small spoon to share the dough.

2. Separate the whites without mounting them

   Break the 3 eggs one by one over a small bowl and separate the whites from the yolks. Weigh 90 g of whites in total, then pour them into the bowl. Make sure there is no shell left. Set aside the yolks for another preparation; here the whites remain liquid and should not be whipped to stiff peaks.

3. Mix sugar with whites

   Add the 120 g of sugar and the vanilla teaspoon to the whites. Stir with the fork for 30 to 45 seconds, just to spread the sugar and loosen the whites. A few small bubbles on the surface are normal. Stop before you get a voluminous foam: the goal is to moisten the coconut, not to make a meringue.

4. Add coconut by scraping the bottom

   Pour the 200 g of grated coconut into the bowl. Mix with the spatula, picking up the liquid at the bottom, then lightly press the fibers against the walls to soak them. Continue until all the coconut looks moist, without small dry piles. The preparation must be lumpy and stand when pressed a small portion.

5. Let the coconut absorb the liquid

   Let the salad bowl sit for 5 minutes at room temperature. Mix one last time with the spatula after this rest, especially at the bottom. Take a small amount in your hand and squeeze it gently: it must keep its shape. Do not add flour to make it smooth; its moist fiber texture is the one expected.

6. Divided into 20 regular servings

   Take 20 servings of about 20 g with a small spoon or using a scale. Place them on a plate or directly on the plate by spacing them 3 cm. Divide the last small remains between the portions. Keep close sizes so that the clusters are gilded at about the same time.

7. Low and stable cone shape

   Moisten your fingers very slightly, then shake them so as not to add water to the dough. Press a portion between the fingers to compact it, flatten its base on the plate and pinch the top to form a small cone 3 to 4 cm high. Keep a rough surface, with visible coconut fibers. Repeat with each portion; the base must be wide enough for the clusters to stand.

8. Make the tips and bases golden

   Bake in the middle of the oven for 12 to 15 minutes. From 12 minutes, observe the clusters: the tips and the edge of the base must become golden, while the sides remain rather clear. If your oven color more at the bottom, turn the baking tray with oven gloves at the end of cooking. Remove it before the tips turn dark brown.

9. Let cool before taking off

   Leave the clusters on the plate for 10 minutes, without moving them: they firm up by cooling. Then slide a thin spatula under each and place them on a wire rack. Wait another 20 minutes until it cools down completely. Store them only then in a box, to avoid condensation that would wet the bases.