Don’t let the Mainschewitz Passover Industrial Complex ruin your Passover. Homemade coconut macaroons can be yours so quickly and easily that you’ll never look back. I was never enamored by the macaroons-in-a-can, but they were just always… there. So I snacked on them because they existed without what I’d call “enthusiasm”, and I had even tried Barefoot Contessa’s recipe at some point, but when I discovered Smitten Kitchen‘s macaroons a couple of Passovers ago, I knew I’d hit gold and would never need another recipe. (Frankly, I owe nearly all of my Jewish holiday food to Deb Perelman– I am forever grateful to her.) The recipe is not only ridiculously simple, but also a blank canvas for all kinds of flavor variations. I stumbled upon the combination of coconut and blonde chocolate around the same time as the recipe, and I’ve tried to blonde-and-coconut sooo many things (try this shortbread for starters), and since coconut macs already contain half the combo inherently, don’t I have a duty to also slather them in blonde chocolate?? There is only one correct answer, as you might have guessed. 😉
Deb-from-Smitten-Kitchen also has made different flavors, which I’ve posted here before, one being a dark chocolate version. That’s what I riffed this recipe from, and it worked without a hitch. Instead of blending dark chocolate into the coconut mixture, I used melted Dulcey (Valrhona’s blonde chocolate, though you can also roast your own), and I took it a step further by also dipping them in Dulcey ganache. What can I say, living on the edge of Passover desserts makes me feel alive.
Blonde Chocolate Coconut Macaroons
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Yields about 30 – 1½” cookies
For the macaroons:
- 4 ounces (115 grams) blonde chocolate, such as Valrhona Dulcey, melted and cooled
- 14 ounces (400 grams) sweetened, flaked coconut
- ⅔ cup (130 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon flaked sea salt or level ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
For the blonde chocolate ganache:
- 6 ounces (170g) blonde chocolate, such as Valrhona Dulcey, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
Make the macaroons:
Preheat the oven to 325°F and position a rack in the center. Line two rimless sheet pans with parchment paper and set them aside.
Pour the flaked coconut into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade; process for 1 full minute and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the sugar and blend for 1 minute. Add the egg whites, salt, and vanilla, and process until combined. Finally, add the melted blonde chocolate and blend until the mixture is homogenous; it will be the consistency of a chunky paste.
With a medium spring-loaded ice cream scoop or a tablespoon measure, scoop the batter into 1″ mounds directly onto the prepared cookie sheets. The cookies can be placed about 1-2″ apart since they don’t really spread– they just puff a little.
Bake the macaroons for about 20-22 minutes, until they are golden and toasty on top. Transfer the sheet to a wire cooling rack and let the cookies cool for 10 minutes undisturbed, as they will be too fragile to move right out of the oven. You can then transfer them directly to the rack, or just leave them on the sheet to cool completely.
Make the blonde chocolate ganache:
Place the chopped blonde chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan until the edges bubble. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate bits and let it sit for about 1 minute. Whisk the mixture, starting in the center, and working your way outwards towards the edges until all the chocolate is melted and the cream is fully blended. Let the ganache cool for about 30 minutes; it will be the consistency of thick caramel (and will taste like caramelized heaven).
Assemble the macaroons:
Line a rimmed half-sheet pan with parchment paper, then place a wire cooling rack inside the pan over the parchment.
Dip the cooled macaroons halfway in the ganache and let the excess drip back into the bowl. Set the dipped macaroons onto the rack, letting any additional chocolate drip onto the parchment below. Place the pan in the fridge for about 15 minutes to allow the ganache to set.
The macaroons will keep for about a week stored in an airtight container at room temperature, and they freeze well.
© Dafna Adler & Stellina Sweets, 2020.
