Published January 1, 2000. From Cook's Illustrated.
Early in the development of our macaroon recipe, our tests showed that our choice of coconut would make a big difference in both taste and texture. Unsweetened shredded coconut resulted in a less sticky, more appealing texture. Sweetened shredded coconut packed more flavor than unsweetened, and together they worked very well. To add one more layer of coconut flavor to our coconut macaroon recipe, we tried cream of coconut and hit the jackpot. The flavor was superior to that of any of the cookies we had tasted to date.
Cream of coconut, available canned, is a very sweet product commonly used in piña colada cocktails. Be sure to mix the
can's contents thoroughly before using, as the mixture separates upon standing. Unsweetened desiccated coconut is
commonly sold in natural food stores or Asian markets. If you are unable to find any, use all sweetened flaked or
shredded coconut, but reduce the amount of cream of coconut to ½ cup, omit the corn syrup, and toss 2 tablespoons
cake flour with the coconut before adding the liquid ingredients. For larger macaroons, shape haystacks from a
generous ¼ cup of batter and increase the baking time to 20 minutes.
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