Raspberry Coconut Macaroons

Here is another fun and tasty cookie recipe that would be great for giving or taking to your next get together! Use fresh raspberries and don't over mix the coconut 'batter'. 

Fresh, in-season raspberries work best here. I made these in December and they turned out quite runny with out-of-season berries. If you notice your mixture is liquidy (is that a word?), make sure to strain the coconut raspberry mixture and pat dry before you scoop into balls.

These dainty macaroons are truly addicting! They're sweet and chewy from the coconut with tart bits of fresh raspberry throughout. It's a unique and delicious combination of flavors that's sure to have you coming back for more!

Not only are these cute and yummy, they're super simple to make. Gotta love that!

Here's how to whip them up: 

Start with sweetened shredded coconut

 Blend it in a food processor with granulated sugar until light and fluffy

 Add in egg whites, almond extract and salt. 

Pulse, Pulse, Pulse!

 Gently fold in fresh raspberries

Do quick pulses until the raspberries are roughly chopped. You want good size pieces of raspberry to remain. You also want a mix of white and pink coconut. So, DON'T over blend this!

Shape into balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. I didn't use parchment and these stuck like crazy! So, use parchment or a silpat.

 I love the bits of fresh raspberry!

 Bake for 25-30 minutes @ 325.

Don't be afraid to let these brown all over. It helps them maintain their shape and stay together. It's also give them a nice crispy exterior giving way to a soft, chewy center.

These would be yummy with the bottoms dipped in dark chocolate or white chocolate!

Recipe Source: Smitten Kitchen

Raspberry Coconut Macaroons

Makes 50ish 1 1/4-inch cookies

14 ounces (400 grams) sweetened, flaked coconut
2/3 cup (130 grams) granulated sugar
3 large egg whites
Heaped 1/4 teaspoon flaked sea salt or level 1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 pint (6 ounces, 170 grams or 1 1/4 cups) fresh raspberries (if washed, patted very dry)

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a food processor, blend the coconut for a minute. Add sugar, blend another minute. Add egg whites, salt and almond extract and blend for another minute. Add raspberries and pulse machine on and off in short bursts until they are largely, but not fully, broken down. (I counted 13 pulses. I might have been a little obsessive, what with the counting.) Some visible flecks of raspberry here and there are great. When you open the machine, you’ll see some parts of the batter that are still fully white while others are fully pink. Resist stirring them together.

With a tablespoon measure or cookie scoop (I used a #70), scoop batter into 1-inch mounds. You can arrange the cookies fairly close together as they don’t spread, just puff a bit. Scooping a little of the pink batter and a little of the white batter together makes them look extra marble-y and pretty.

Bake cookies for 25 to 30 minutes, until they look a little toasted on top. Let them rest on the tray for 10 minutes after baking (or you can let them fully cool in place, if you’re not in a rush to use the tray again), as they’ll be hard to move right out of the oven. They’ll firm up as they cool, but still remain softer and less dry inside than traditional macaroons. 

Recipe: Smittenkitchen