Almond Macaroons

SERVES: 24 macaroons

COOK TIME: 27 Min

With a slight hint of almond, these coconut cookies, known as macaroons, are sure to be a hit when you have company. Almond Macaroons will melt in your mouth and melt their hearts, too!

What You'll Need

2 (14-ounce) packages sweetened, flaked coconut
5 egg whites
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract (see Tips)
2 dozen whole blanched almonds

What to Do

Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Place coconut in a large bowl; set aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine egg whites and sugar over medium heat. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, just until sugar has dissolved and mixture is bubbly. Remove from heat and mix in almond extract. Pour mixture over coconut; mix well.
With your hands, squeeze together 1/4-cupfuls of mixture to form slightly rounded mounds. Place mounds 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheet, top each with an almond, and bake about 20 minutes, until macaroons begin to color slightly.
Turn off oven and leave macaroons in oven for 7 to 10 minutes (with oven door closed), until they turn golden.

Notes

If making these for Passover, be sure to use imitation almond extract, rather than pure extract (which isn't a Passover product).
You can drizzle the macaroons with melted chocolate before serving, if you want. Just melt 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and drizzle over the tops.