Arcade Ghost Coconut Macaroons

It's up to you.

11 detailed steps, from preparation to service.

1. Preparing the oven and weighing

   Turn the oven on at 175°C in conventional oven setting (no fan) and covers a baking sheet. Weigh 200 g of grated coconut and 120 g of sugar in two containers. Prepare a teaspoon of vanilla and keep the chocolate from the decor apart. Lay a wire rack on the worktop for cooling after cooking.

2. Separate the three egg whites

   Break the eggs one by one over a small bowl and separate the whites from the yolks, then pour the whites into a bowl. Weigh 90 g of whites in total; keeps the yolks for another preparation. Mix the whites with a fork for about twenty seconds to make them fluid. They should not be whipped to stiff peaks: the dough is shaped with whites simply mixed.

3. Humidifying the coconut

   Pour the 120 g of sugar and vanilla teaspoon into the whites, then whisk for 30 seconds. Add the 200 g of grated coconut and mix with the spatula, scraping well the bottom and edges of the bowl. All the coconut should be slightly damp; it should no longer remain white and dry. Let this mixture sit for 5 minutes so that the fibers absorb the liquid.

4. Share the dough in twenty portions

   Weigh the dough or visually divide it into 20 heaps of about 20 g, using a spoon. Place the piles on a plate before giving them their shape. Moisten your fingers very lightly with water, then shake them: they must be moist, not dripping. Press a first portion into the hand; it must fit in one block without losing any coconut crumbs.

5. Shape low and solid silhouettes

   Shapes a small dome about 4 cm high, with a base sufficiently wide and flattened to remain standing. With the thumb and forefinger, gives three large undulations at the lower edge, leaving the whole base connected; it is not necessary to cut thin legs. Place the 20 pieces at least 3 cm apart. If the mixture crumbles, simply tighten it with your fingers: do not add any ingredient.

6. Cook to the first golden zones

   Bake the baking tray in the middle of the oven and set a timer for 12 minutes. At this point, look at the base and the coconut tips: they must start to brown while the sides remain clear. Bake for up to 15 minutes if needed, watching carefully so the whole macaroon does not brown. Remove the plate with oven gloves and place it on a heat-resistant surface.

7. Cooling before all chocolate decor

   Leave the clusters on their plate for 10 minutes without touching them, as they are fragile when they are hot. Then raise them with a small spatula and place them on a wire rack, without pulling on their edges. Wait about 30 minutes until they are completely cold. The chocolate should be placed on a cold surface, otherwise it would sink and the decorations would slip.

8. Prepare the dark chocolate of the face

   Chop the 45 g of dark chocolate with a knife and put them in a small, perfectly dry bowl. Pour 2 cm of water into a saucepan and simmer gently, then lower the heat. Place the bowl above: its bottom should not touch the water. Stir with a spatula until only a few small pieces remain. Remove the bowl from the heat and keep stirring so the residual heat melts them. Wipe the bottom of the bowl; no drop of water should fall into the chocolate. Let it cool for a few minutes so that a drop remains in place on the coconut instead of flowing. Prepare a cornet and a clean sheet of paper to test the size of the eyes. Check for the last time that the clusters are completely cold.

9. Choose a face and install the ghosts

   For each clusters, choose the face that offers the most space above the three waves of the base. Put the ghosts on the set, this face turned towards you. If the surface is very irregular, barely press on a protruding fiber with the back of a spoon, without crushing the dome. The decor should rest on the coconut; there is no fondant to add.

10. Put down the two big eyes

    Place a small cone of baking paper in a glass, point down, and half fill it with a spoon. Fold over the top to keep chocolate away from your hand, then cut a 2 to 3 mm opening at the tip. Pipe a test line on the paper: a continuous ribbon should flow when you squeeze gently. Fill the cornet with dark chocolate, then place two oval dots on the chosen side, at the same height. Press gently until a large point is formed, stop pressing and move away from the tip; start again for the second eye. Spread the 45 g on the 20 ghosts, keeping the coco visible and without adding other fragile details.

11. Allow to freeze and then move gently

    Leave the ghosts on the tray for about 20 to 30 minutes in a cool room. The eyes should be firm and no longer stick to the finger before storing the cookies. Slide a spatula under the base to move each clusters, without squeezing it by the sides. Keep the leftover chocolate on a separate sheet to harden and reuse.