Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons

I'm all for spending the weekend in the kitchen, trying out new and delicious recipes, which take time and energy. I love experimenting with more complicated dishes, (I think I get that from my Dad, he once found a recipe which required pretty much every single utensil, pot, pan and dish in the kitchen which is no mean feat considering how well equiped his kitchen is!!) but sometimes it's nice to find a recipe that requires minimum effort and produces delicious results. This is that recipe. I have honestly never made anything so simple in the hundreds of collective hours I've spent in the kitchen, and they're beautiful!! And just to add to the brilliance, no one would ever guess how easy they are!!


This is a Rachel Allen recipe, which is in her Home Cooking book. I've tried her dishes before, and I've never been disappointed, and this is another successful recipe. You throw lightly beaten egg white (just enough to 'break' or loosen it), desiccated coconut and caster sugar in a bowl, then with damp hands, mould into balls and bake for 10 minutes or so, or until golden.

Coconut Macaroons
100g desiccated coconut
75g caster sugar
1 egg white

(The one missing in the top right hand corner is because I was impatient...they smelled so wonderful and I couldn't wait to try one!!)

They need to be left on the tray to cool, as they're so delicate they will fall apart if you try to peel them off when warm. While they are cooling, melt some dark chocolate, then dip the macaroons in the chocolate and leave to set on a cling filmed surface - this makes it so easy to peel away when they're set.

I love the way these look - the contrast between the rich dark chocolate, the golden outer casing and the snowy white inside, and when you take a bite the dark chocolate compliments the sweet coconut mix beautifully. These keep well in an air tight container, and are a delicious treat to have to hand, try them out when you have a spare twenty minutes!!