These turned out wonderfully very simple to make. Just a couple of comments: I left out the almond extract as my nephew has a nut allergy & everyone still thought they were delicious. Also I baked them on sheets lined with parchment paper instead of foil. This eliminated the need to grease the foil and preserved the gluten-free nature of the recipe (my sister has celiac disease & Pam for Baking contains flour so that wasn't an option.) I was able to reuse the parchment sheets for each batch; the cookies slid right off the paper & cleanup was a cinch.
I use unsweetened coconut when making these and they turn out great. I often omit the egg also. One time I just forgot it and they turned out better. I also use a small scoop to form them and then press slightly with the bottom of the cookie scoop once they are dropped onto the pan. I use Pam on the foil or more often parchment and haven't had a problem with sticking when I take them off immediately. It's a nice touch to place a piece of sliced almond on top after baking or to dip the tops in a little melted dark chocolate. I've served these at my daughter's weddings. I recently changed my rating of these from a 4 to a 5 because I continue to make them after 4 years and they are always a hit.
I made a test batch because of all the varying reviews but I needn't have worried. Soooo easy to make even with a toddler at my heels. I pretty much followed the recommendations of the other reviewers..I whipped the egg white till it formed soft peaks used unsweetened coconut - I think it would have been too sweet otherwise. I added the almond extract to the condensed milk and mixed it together before adding the other ingredients (I only used 1 tsp). I formed little balls with the mixture pressing them down slightly then put them on greased tin foil. After about 15 min. at 325 they started to get brown on the bottom and I removed them immediately from pan. They came out perfectly and didn't spread at all. I will definately be making a big batch of these for the holidays!
I found this to be a very easy recipe. I did alter it a bit. First I doubled the recipe (with 8 married kids and 13 grandchildren I double everything) then to prevent the cookies from flattening I added another 14oz bag of coconut. I rolled them with my fingers a bit forming balls. The balls kept their shape just fine. Then I poured a chocolate glaze. I had read another reviewer's comment about not over-cooking them. If stored in an airtight container the toasted coconut will soften.
Really liked this recipe - I followed a lot of the tips of everyone else. I whipped the egg white and the condensed milk together to give it a bit of volume. As well I also added about 1/2 a cup of flour as many of the other ratings said they were too runny. The flour gave it excellent consistency and the taste is still great! The balls of macaroon kept their shape perfectly. Oh! And to prevent them from sticking to the pan I used silicon mats/silpat - did the trick didn't need any foil or non-stick coatings at all!
I think these are very good however I did leave out the egg white. They are a very sweet cookie so I think the next time I will add a little flour to see if that cuts the sweetness on them. I had no problem removing them from the pans because I used parchment paper. I use it on all my cookies actually because you can just slide the whole bunch off your sheets for cooling. Try parchment! You will LOVE it!
First off use aluminum foil as it states in the recipe to line your cookie sheets & you won't have a problem with them sticking. This recipe is really easy & delicious. Also I found that turning my spatula over so that it is in a 45 degree angle helped to remove each macaroon easier.
These are good just a word of warning for anyone making these. I put the waxed paper on the cookie sheet buttered and floured the trick to removing them after they are cooked is to remove them immediately from the cookie sheet or else they will all stick and you will get very frustrated!
My husband and father love these I also made some with drizzled cholate over them. They are requested every Chrismas.
Do NOT make this recipe. I followed everything exactly and all it made was a runny expensive mess. I'm an excellent baker and have never had anything turn out poorly except a dry cake here or there. This is the worst recipe ever! I even added an extra whipped egg and it was beyond saving. Don't waste your time!!!!!
