Peachy Coconut Macaroons
I inherited a deep love of coconut from my mother, who agrees with me that macaroons are coconut’s gift to the cookie world. And since they’re so easy, why not add a little flavor twist? Peach jam lends sweetness, bright flavor, and a lovely golden hue. I like to use unsweetened coconut so I have control over the sweetness (and I like its texture better too), but if you can only find the sweetened stuff, just reduce the sugar by half and everything will still work A-OK.
Makes 20 cookies
Difficulty: Easy
Make Ahead and Storage: These macaroons are best eaten within 1 day. Store loosely covered with plastic wrap at room temperature—if you put them in an airtight container, the crispy exteriors will soften.
- 119 g / 4 large egg whites
- 99 g / ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2.5 g / ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 g / ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 255 g / 3 cups unsweetened shredded coconut (see headnote)
- 170 g / ½ cup peach jam or preserves
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C, with a rack in the upper third. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites and sugar until well combined and lightly frothy. Add the vanilla and salt and whisk well to combine. Fold in the coconut until it’s well coated. Fold in the peach jam until well incorporated.
3. Use a #16 / ¼-cup scoop or two spoons to portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheets. The cookies won’t spread, but leave about ½ inch between them so the oven air can circulate and brown the surfaces evenly.
4. Bake the macaroons one sheet at a time (if baked too close to the bottom of the oven, their undersides will overbrown), rotating the sheet from front to back at the halfway mark, until golden around the edges, 20 to 22 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet, then peel the parchment away from the baked cookies.
✻ Why It Works
The protein in egg whites coagulates when heated in the oven, which allows the sweet coconut mixture to set into a delightful combo of crisp on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside. That protein is also responsible for the cookie’s structure, holding it together without any flour.
