Cherry Coconut Macaroons

Because it’s a wet, dreary Wednesday here in Chicago, I am sharing my new favorite cookie recipe…and just in time for Valentine’s Day! These cherry coconut macaroons are the perfect amount of sweet and take the perfect amount of time (about 25 minutes from start to finish!). Make them with your little Valentines at home on a slow Sunday or after school for the perfect snack. I actually made them yesterday to test out, and ended making them again today because they seemed to have mysteriously disappeared over night….

Regarding the ingredients, I went with organic when I could, which is why the cherry color in the macaroons turned out a bit more purple (no red food dye!). If you decide to do regular maraschino cherries, they will have a much pinker hue. Also, if you want to make the sweetness even more subtle than it already is, I suggest buying unsweetened coconut shavings.

Ready for how simple this recipe is? First, preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Then, in a medium sized bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients, salt, and sugar. Whisk them until frothy (it could take about a minute). Next, add in the coconut shavings, flour, and roughly chopped cherries, combining all of the ingredients well. Using a spoon (or your fingers!), make little balls and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. You can put as many as you want to fit, because these cookies don’t spread! Finally, pop them in the oven for 20-24 minutes, or until the coconut starts to turn golden and crunchy.

Optional (but delicious) step: Melt some white chocolate chips in a bowl and dip the cooled macaroons in it! Let them sit in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to allow the chocolate to harden and serve…or shall I say, devour.

Enjoy!

Xoxo, Claire and the Mamas at Mama Jess