Coconut Macaroons for Passover...
Or are they Easter eggs?
Hi, happy April, and welcome to issue #57 of Susanality, a newsletter by me, Susan Spungen. Last month marked the first full year of this newsletter (hard to believe it’s been that long!). I’m truly grateful for this opportunity to connect with you and for the creative challenge of developing seasonal recipes each and every week. To celebrate Susanality’s first anniversary, I’m offering 20% off annual paid subscriptions, which provide lots of bonus content (extra recipes, technique video tutorials, gear round ups, and more), now through April 8th. Either way, thank you for being here and supporting my work!
xx
Susan
No, it’s not an April Fool’s joke. When I looked at the calendar this year to see when Passover and Easter fell, I was happy to see that they overlapped. As a recipe developer, that’s very convenient! I wanted to come up with a treat that would work for either holiday.
For me, there must be coconut macaroons for Passover. I don't need any not-great cake, especially after what is usually a very filling meal (though I’m still trying to come up with a delicious cake for Passover—maybe next year!). Dessert usually happens late in the evening, which is another reason I like to serve macaroons, along with a few strawberries or dates, for seder dessert. A finger food dessert lineup also means there will not be yet ANOTHER set of dishes to wash. A traditional seder goes through a LOT of plates, so no need to add to your cleaning. Now, I know coconut is polarizing, but if you are on team coconut, you will love these. Crunchy and chewy on the outside, and soft and pillowy within.
Even though my family didn’t celebrate Easter, my babysitter did, and she always made us Easter baskets when I was a small child. And what small child doesn’t love a basketful of candy? My favorite item was the large coconut cream egg enrobed in brittle dark chocolate and decorated with little squiggles of royal icing and sugar flowers. It came in its own box with a little cellophane window. It was so big, I would have a slice each day until it was gone.
These egg-shaped macaroons conjure up those memories for me. I added the sprinkles for a touch of pastel whimsy and they gave a really nice (unexpected) crunch that I wasn’t mad about. The eggs I made were on the large side because I really wanted to try out some antique chocolate molds that Steve insisted I get when we were in London just a few months before the pandemic began. We popped into a little antique shop on Portobello Road just before having dinner in a very crowded restaurant. We were packed in like sardines that night… It was an evening I’ve thought back on frequently over the past two years because things changed so quickly after that! Anyway, I’m rambling now, but that’s why I wanted to try out the egg molds.
It’s not difficult to fashion an egg shape out of this macaroon mixture without a mold, though. It helps to use a cookie scoop if you have one, both for the regular round macaroons or the egg-shaped version. I like to scoop up some of the mixture and really pack it in using my hand so it stays together well. From there, you can form it into an egg shape right on the baking sheet—any size you want. For the round version of this macaroon (pictured below), I like to fluff up the individual shreds of coconut a little; they look especially pretty as they brown this way. For the eggs, I opted to leave the surface smoother so as not to detract from the ovate shape, but you do you! Have fun with it.
Either way you shape them, these macaroons are really easy to put together. The mixture can be made ahead and stored in the fridge, but it’s not necessary. If making them for the Jewish holiday, there are a few things to be aware of if you’re strict about keeping Passover. See the TIPS section below for those. It doesn’t make a huge batch, and the exact yield will vary depending on the size of your macaroons, but it can easily be doubled.
I did manage to temper the chocolate for these, which I’m getting better and better at doing by feel. I’ve realized that making a small batch (from a 4-ounce chocolate bar) is key. I love the snap that tempering adds and that they are dry at room temperature. I also hate when chocolate “blooms” and those white spots appear. A few drops of vegetable oil will prevent this, but the chocolate will be softer, so, once again, I encourage you to try it.
Paid subscribers, you’ll receive a post with more tips for tempering chocolate next Wednesday!
I hope you like these macaroons, and that you have a sweet Pesach or happy Easter!
Coconut Macaroons
Makes 12 to 18
These moist, chewy macaroons are not only for holidays. If you’re a coconut lover you’ll want to make them all the time. They take only a few minutes to put together and keep extremely well. They do require two kinds of coconut, but that’s where the perfect texture comes from. Traditional soft and fluffy sweetened coconut provides moisture and softness, while the crunchier unsweetened coconut amps up the flavor and texture, providing more chewiness. While I am usually a proponent of weighing ingredients, especially for cookies, I suggest you use volume measurements for the coconut, since the unsweetened varieties can really vary in weight depending on the shred and volume is more important here. There will be a bit more chocolate than you need, but I always like to have extra when drizzling. Any leftovers can be used again for your next baking project.
3 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup/101g granulated sugar
1 tablespoon melted virgin coconut oil or neutral oil like safflower or grapeseed
Scrapings from 1/2 vanilla bean (or 1/2 teaspoon extract, but not for Passover)
1 ½ cups shredded (aka flaked) sweetened coconut
1 ½ cups shredded (aka flaked) unsweetened coconut
2 tablespoons almond flour, matzo cake meal, potato starch, or all-purpose flour (but not the latter for Passover)
4 ounces/113.5g bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
Flaky salt, optional
Heat oven to 325°F. In a medium bowl, whisk egg whites, salt, and sugar until creamy, thick, opaque, and pure white (see photo below). Whisk in the oil and vanilla, if using.
Fold in both coconuts and the flour, mixing well so the coconut is evenly moistened. At this point, the macaroons can be baked, but you can also refrigerate the mixture for several days.
Use a small cookie scoop to portion the coconut mixture (a scant 1 ounce or 25 grams each) and squeeze together in a ball. Space out on a parchment-lined baking sheet, a few inches apart, for 3 rows of 3. Rough up the texture of each ball a little with your fingers (if desired). Repeat process with a second sheet pan, or bake in 2 batches.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden on the bottom and toasty all over. If baking two sheets at a time, switch the pans from back to front and top to bottom halfway through cooking. Let cool on baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack close together to cool completely. Keep the baking sheet handy.
Unless you are tempering your chocolate, melt the chocolate with 1/2 tsp. additional oil and stir well. Set the cooling rack over the parchment-lined sheet pan and drizzle macaroons generously with the chocolate. Let the chocolate set a little in a cool place or in the refrigerator before topping with flaky salt.
TIPS:
Sweetened coconut may not be kosher for Passover, so depending on how strict you are, you can use all unsweetened coconut and increase the sugar by 2 tablespoons. The texture will be a little chewier.
Most pure vanilla extracts are not kosher for Passover because they are alcohol-based and therefore fermented. Use the scrapings of half a vanilla bean, or use lemon, lime, or orange zest to flavor the macaroons instead.
If making for Passover, use almond flour, coconut flour, matzo cake meal, or potato starch, but not all-purpose flour. One of these binders is necessary to prevent puddling.
When whipping the egg whites: You aren’t trying to turn them into a fluffy meringue, although that would work. You don't need a mixer; just whip until the egg white mixture becomes thick and opaque, like heavy cream (see below).
You can use melted butter instead of coconut oil if you want, but I like the extra coconut flavor that you get with coconut oil.
Where did I get my sprinkles, you ask? Why, I got them at Michael’s, where they seem to have the best selection of anywhere. I don't see the exact color option I used (which are technically “nonpareils”) online, but you’ll find a selection of both in lots of fun colors and designs here.
Congratulations on a full year of newsletters! I’ve loved them all and refer to the archives often when planning meals and treats! My family is definitely team coconut! Thanks for another yummy looking recipe!
Very much coveting those antique egg molds, and the macaroons, too. Congrats on your one-year anniversary!