Make Rachel Sundet's Coconut Macaroons

A mainstay on Passover tables, the coconut macaroon makes a lovely addition to the cookie jar or dessert spread pretty much any time of year. This version from pastry chef Rachel Sundet (partner at Mamaleh’s, State Park & Vincent’s) makes a dozen good-sized crunchy-on-the-outside and soft-and-tender-on-the-inside little morsels. You can customize yours with chocolate or nut butter or whatever you have handy – see below for Sundet’s suggestions and have at it.

Ingredients

5.75 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 large egg whites
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 tablespoons tapioca starch
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted

Optional additions:

1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2/3 cup raspberry jam
1 lemon's worth of citrus zest
5 tablespoons walnut or nut butter

Directions

Mix together the coconut, sugars, salt, and tapioca starch.
Next add the egg whites, vanilla and coconut oil and mix well. At this point, you have a beautiful blank canvas for flavors! Add in any of the optional ingredients – cocoa powder and/or chopped dark chocolate, fruit jam or preserve, nut butter or nutella or chocolate tahini, dried fruits or nuts or citrus zest. Whatever you have in your pantry will taste great!!
Once your batter is mixed, scoop the cookies however large or small you prefer and place on parchment-lined cookie sheet. An ice cream scoop works really well here to get a nice flat bottom and rounded top. You can freeze the scooped cookies and bake them later straight from frozen or bake them right away.
Preheat the oven to 350.
Bake for roughly 15 minutes – the macaroons should be golden on the top and bottom. Once cooled, they'll be crunchy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside. Depending on your oven, you may need to leave them in longer to get them a nice golden color - bigger ones will also take a little longer in the oven.