Candied Cherry Macaroons Recipes

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED CHERRY MACAROONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Spread chopped cherries out on a paper-towel-lined plate. Set aside. In a large bowl, stir together coconut, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Then fold in the chopped cherries. This will turn the mixture a light pink color-just fold until the whole mixture is evenly colored. Sprinkle flour evenly over the mixture and then fold again to incorporate. With a stand mixer or hand mixer, with the whisk attachment, whip egg whites and salt on high speed until there are medium-firm peaks. Very gently fold egg whites into coconut mixture. Using a medium-sized cookie scoop (the one I used is 1-3/4 inches in diameter), pack the coconut mixture fairly tightly into the scoop, and drop the batter onto prepared baking pans. Place both pans in the oven and bake for about 30-33 minutes, or until golden brown and set, alternating pans halfway through the total baking time. Remove pans from oven and let macaroons cool on the pan for 5 minutes before removing them to a rack to cool completely. Line a pan with parchment paper and set aside. In a very small microwave-safe bowl, gently melt the chocolate in the microwave. Heat for 15-20 seconds at a time, stirring in between, taking extra care to make sure the chocolate doesn't scorch. Dip the bottom of each macaroon into the melted chocolate, so chocolate reaches about ¼ inch up the sides. Wiggle the macaroon so excess chocolate will fall back into the bowl. Very gently scrape the bottom of the macaroon across the lip of the bowl, from inside of bowl to outside, to let excess chocolate fall back into the bowl. Place chocolate dipped cherry macaroon on parchment paper lined pan. Repeat until all macaroons are dipped. Let macaroons sit at room temperature until chocolate is set, or place in refrigerator for 10 minutes to speed up the process. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days. These also freeze very well in an airtight container with parchment paper separating any layers of macaroons.

STAINED GLASS CHERRY MACAROONS

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes., Preheat oven to 325°. Add vanilla and salt to egg whites; beat on medium speed until foamy. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high after each addition until sugar is dissolved. Continue beating until stiff glossy peaks form. In another bowl, combine coconut, cherries and flour; stir into egg white mixture., Drop by tablespoonfuls 1 in. apart onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake 14-16 minutes or until edges are golden. Cool on pans 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool. Store in an airtight container.

COCONUT MACAROONS WITH CANDIED CHERRIES

Steps:

• About 30 minutes before making macaroons, place an egg separator over a small bowl. Crack each egg over the egg separator to separate the yolks from the whites. (Save egg yolks for another recipe.)
• In a clean large bowl, place the egg whites, and let stand at room temperature up to 30 minutes.*
• Heat the oven to 300°F. Line cookie sheets with a sheet of foil or cooking parchment paper.
• Add the cream of tartar and salt to the egg whites. Beat with an electric mixer on high speed until foamy. Beat in the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time; continue beating until stiff and glossy--do not underbeat. Pour into a medium bowl.
• Sprinkle the almond extract and coconut over egg white mixture. With a rubber spatula, cut down vertically through the batter, then slide the spatula across the bottom of the bowl and up the side, turning the batter over. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn, and repeat this down-across-up motion. Continue folding just until ingredients are blended.
• For each cookie, scoop a teaspoonful of dough, using a tableware spoon, and push it onto a lined cookie sheet with another spoon or rubber spatula, placing cookies 1 inch apart. Place 1 cherry piece on each cookie.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or just until edges are light brown. Cool on cookie sheets 10 minutes, then remove cookies from foil to a cooling rack, using a turner. Cool cookie sheets 10 minutes between batches.

COCONUT MACAROONS WITH A CHERRY TOP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°. Line baking trays with parchment paper.
• Place coconut in a large zip lock bag. Toss in 2 T. maraschino cherry juice and shake until coconut is pink. Set aside.
• Cut 18 maraschino cherries in half. Drain on paper towels. Set aside.
• Using a mixer, beat egg whites and salt at high speed until soft peaks form.
• Sprinkle sugar in, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition until sugar is completely dissolved (allow 2 minutes after each addition of sugar). Whites should be in stiff glossy peaks when you're done.
• Beat in vanilla. With a rubber spatula, fold in coconut and flour.
• Drop coconut by rounded teaspoon about an inch apart onto the prepared baking sheets. They won't spread very much at all. Place a half cherry on top of each cookie.
• Bake at 300° for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Slide parchment paper and cookies directly onto a rack to cool.
• Store in tightly covered container for up to 3 days.
• Makes 36 cookies.