Coconut Macaroons (Haystack Cookies)

5 from 6 votes

You’ll find this Coconut Macaroons recipe, among may of my other favorite cookies, in Zoë Bakes Cookies.

I know, the whole macaroon/macaron thing is rather confusing. It’s helpful to think of both as derivatives of a cookie that has evolved over hundreds of years with each version maintaining that base of egg whites and sugar.

These are one of my favorite Passover cookies. I find the commercially made ones dense and too sweet, but the homemade ones are delightful, chewy treats that are so easy to make.

Tom Gumpel, my former professor at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), inspired these cookies. He added all kinds of dried fruits—raisins, cranberries, apricots, and cherries—for added sweetness and extra chew. Over the years, I’ve experimented with various flavors, such as jaggery, ground cardamom, and chocolate to satisfy whatever cravings I have.

Coconut Macaroons (Haystack Cookies) Step-By-Step

Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line two doubled-up baking sheets or insulated cookie sheets with lightly greased parchment paper or silicone mats. The doubled- up baking sheets will protect the bottoms from getting too dark.

In a large stainless steel bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar and egg whites.

Fill the bottom of a double boiler or a medium sauce-pan with 1 inch / 2.5cm of water and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Place the bowl with the sugar mixture over the double boiler and stir the mixture with a rubber spatula until the sugar is completely melted.

This can take about 5 minutes. Brush down the sides of the bowl with the spatula to make sure all the sugar is melted and no grains are clinging to the side. Feel the mixture between your fingers to check for graininess.

Remove the sugar mixture from the heat and add the vanilla, salt, coconut, cinnamon, raisins, dried fruit, and nuts. Stir well to incorporate. Allow it to sit for 30 minutes. It can also be made ahead of time and refrigerated for up to 48 hours.

Stir before portioning out the haystacks using an ice cream scoop. Be sure that the batter is tightly packed in the scoop before releasing it onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies about two inches apart. If you are using a #40 (1 1/2 tablespoon) portion scoop, you will get about 15 per sheet.

Bake, with racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven, for about 20 minutes until golden brown on the top and bottom, rotating the trays and switching from top to bottom halfway through baking.

Allow to cool completely on parchment paper, lift the cookies to unstick them from the paper, and then dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Coconut Macaroons (Haystack Cookies)

These are the absolute best Coconut "Haystack" Macaroons. The naturally gluten-free cookies are tasty bites full of coconut flavor that are and easy to make. I make mine with dried fruit to add texture and flavor.

5 from 6 votes

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Active Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 30 macaroons

Author: Zoë François

Ingredients

• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (120g) egg whites about 4 large
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 3 cups (320g) loosely packed sweetened angel flake coconut and/or shreds
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup (70g) raisins chopped or whole
• 1 cup (150g) chopped dried fruit raisins, apricots, cherries, and/or craisins
• 1/2 cup (60g) finely chopped pecans or walnuts
• Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line two doubled-up baking sheets or insulated cookie sheets with lightly greased parchment paper or silicone mats. The doubled- up baking sheets will protect the bottoms from getting too dark.
• In a large stainless steel bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar and egg whites.
• Fill the bottom of a double boiler or a medium sauce-pan with 1 inch / 2.5cm of water and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Place the bowl with the sugar mixture over the double boiler and stir the mixture with a rubber spatula until the sugar is completely melted. This can take about 5 minutes. Brush down the sides of the bowl with the spatula to make sure all the sugar is melted and no grains are clinging to the side. Feel the mixture between your fingers to check for graininess.
• Remove the sugar mixture from the heat and add the vanilla, salt, coconut, cinnamon, raisins, dried fruit, and nuts. Stir well to incorporate. Allow it to sit for 30 minutes. It can also be made ahead of time and refrigerated for up to 48 hours.
• Stir before portioning out the haystacks using an ice cream scoop. Be sure that the batter is tightly packed in the scoop before releasing it onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies about two inches apart. If you are using a #40 (1 1/2 tablespoon) portion scoop, you will get about 15 per sheet.
• Bake, with racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven, for about 20 minutes until golden brown on the top and bottom, rotating the trays and switching from top to bottom halfway through baking.
• Allow to cool completely on parchment paper, lift the cookies to unstick them from the paper, and then dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Notes

VARIATION

JAGGERY & CHAI SPICE MACAROONS WITH PISTACHIO, DIPPED IN CHOCOLATE Replace the cup of sugar with 1 cup / 170g jaggery powder: 1/4 tsp ground cardamom, ¼ tsp ground ginger, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, ¼ tsp ground clove, and 1/8 tsp ground allspice. Replace the pecans with pistachios. Add ¼ tsp orange blossom or rose water. Bake and cool as directed. In place of the confectioners’ sugar, dip the bottoms in 4 oz of melted white chocolate and sprinkle with dried edible rose petals and ground pistachios.

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