This recipe is a delightful take on the oft misunderstood and underappreciated coconut macaroon, not to be confused with the also delectable French macaron. Even the word processor used to write up this recipe is flagging “macaroon” as a typo! These matcha macaroons are nice and toasty on the outside and chewy on the inside. Depending on how much of a sweet tooth you have, you can dip these in chocolate, or leave them plain. They are delicious either way. We love the combination of sweetness with the fresh grassy flavour of ABO Matcha Usagi (our new culinary grade matcha), so we use unsweetened coconut to let the matcha shine through, but you can use sweetened coconut and/or adjust the amount of matcha powder used to suit your taste.
Preparation time
20 minutes
Ingredients
- 400g (14 oz) unsweetened flaked or desiccated coconut (about 5⅓ cups)
- ⅞ cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large egg whites (you can save the yolks to use in our matcha cookie recipe)
- ¼ tsp salt
- 7g (0.25 oz) ABO Matcha - Usagi (about 2 Tbsp)
Directions:
- Preheat your oven to 325°F and position two oven racks near the center. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix the coconut and matcha to coat completely, then add in sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla extract, mix and set it aside.
- Beat the egg whites and salt until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture with a spatula.
- Using a mini ice cream scoop (we use the measuring spoon that comes with the aeropress coffee maker), press the mixture firmly into your scoop and arrange mounds on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about an inch of space between them and pop your pans in the oven.
- Rotate the pans and switch racks after 12 minutes, then continue baking until the edges and tops turn golden brown (approximately another 12 minutes). Allow the macaroons to cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- If you wish to dip the macaroons in chocolate, melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl at medium power, stopping and stirring at 30-second intervals until it's fully melted. Be careful not to scorch it. Dip the bottoms of the macaroons in the chocolate, let any excess drip back into the bowl, and return them to the lined baking sheets. Place the macaroons in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to allow the chocolate to set. Store macaroons in an airtight container on the counter for up to a week or freeze in a freezer bag for up to three months.
