Friday, April 22, 2011

Macaroon Mania! (Part 4 of 4 - Chewy Chocolate Macaroons)

Part 4: Chewy Chocolate Macaroons


And here is the end of our macaroon mania! These macaroons I had to give a try. They are so different than any other recipe I’d seen for a few reasons:
-They’re chocolate. Not drizzled, not dipped – full-on, in-your-face chocolate.
-They are cooked low and slow (250 for 45 minutes versus the typical 350 for 15-20 minutes)
-The contain flour
-There is no egg in this recipe


These macaroons were a cinch to make. But waiting for them to cook was absolute torture. Forty-five minutes seemed like an eternity to wait, especially once the kitchen started smelling of coconut and chocolate. Now that’s a lethal combination.


The payoff was worth it. The cookies are soft, and chewy, without being wet or sticky. These macaroons were divine. I was surprised too, because I was expecting to taste like a mounds bar, or just like a chocolate-dipped coconut macaroon. The chocolate had actually taken on a distinct ‘brownie’ taste, which really surprised me, but paired really well with the coconut.


I really recommend trying these. I never imagined I’d flip for such an unconventional macaroon, but it’s a winner. Why not try spicing up your typical Easter recipes?


Well, there you have it. Macaroon Mania. In the end, I do think the classic coconut macaroon won out, but just by a hair. The chewy chocolate coconut macaroon was amazing as well, and I could easily justify having one (or two) of each, because they’re so different. Alton’s were delicious, more like a coconut meringue than what I consider a macaroon, but everyone who enjoys coconut went nuts over these. The chocolate drizzled macaroons were good, and would be fabulous to make nests out of with chocolate eggs for kids, but I like having the coconut a little more broken down than it was in these cookies, not to mention I preferred the more sophisticated look of the other cookies.

Previously: Macaroon Mania! (Part 3 of 4 - Chocolate Dipped Toasted Coconut Macaroons)

Chewy Chocolate Macaroons

Ingredients
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
½ cup sifted cake flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups lightly packed flaked sweetened coconut
1 teaspoonvanilla extract
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk

Directions
Preheat oven to 250°. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Melt unsweetened chocolate in microwave. Spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with knife. Combine flour, cocoa powder and salt. Add coconut to flour mixture and toss well. Stir in melted chocolate, vanilla and condensed milk.
Drop the batter by level tablespoons 2 inches apart onto a baking sheet. Bake at 250° for 45 minutes. Cool 10 minutes on pan or rack


Yield: 32 cookies (serving size: 1 cookie)

3 comments:

Mary Bergfeld said...

Caroline, they sound wonderful and don't seem terribly hard to do. The next time I need a really sweet cookie I'll give them a try. I hope you have a great day and enjoy the holiday weekend. Blessings...Mary

Baking Ribbons said...

I love macaroons! I have been searching for a macaroon cookie
similar to what they used to make at the Rascal House in Miami Beach. It was a tall macaroon, crispy on the outside and moist and chewy on the inside. I am sure they were loaded with fat and tasted and felt like they were probably fried! Did any of your macaroons come out like that? I give you a lot of credit for trying variations!

Caroline said...

Mary, these really aren't hard to do. The hardest part for me was patience. They are so different from a traditional macaroon, but incredibly delicious! I hope you had a wonderfully blessed Easter!

Baking Ribbons - I haven't seen anything like that, but any excuse to whip out my mini-deep fryer, I'll take! They sound amazing - of course, anything deep fried usually is! I'll look into it and let you know if I ever find anyhing similar!

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