Orange Scented Coconut Macaroons
Coconut orange and chocolate, oh my but these are wickedly good. A little crunch on the outside, and then chewy and moist on the inside. The small amount of chocolate from dipping the bottoms and a light chocolate drizzling on top makes a pretty and festive presentation and is the perfect accompanying flavor.

Recipe type: Dessert | Shaped Cookies | Coconut | Chocolate
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Recipe Notes
Pan: Two Large Baking Sheets Pan Prep: Parchment Lined Oven Temp: 300° Yield: 7 Dozen Storage: Airtight Container, Room Temperature
Help: Cookie Hints and Tips, Melting Chocolate, Chocolate Types
Help: Cookie Hints and Tips, Melting Chocolate, Chocolate Types
Ingredients
Dough:
- 2 large egg whites
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated orange zest (about 1 orange)
- 1 teaspoon pure orange extract
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- 2 (14 ounce) packages shredded or flaked sweetened coconut
Topping:
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
Instructions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line Baking sheets with parchment paper, or line with a non-stick baking mat.
Dough:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine egg whites and salt. Using a wire whisk, whisk until frothy, about 2 minutes. Add sweetened condensed milk, orange zest, orange extract, vanilla extract, and coconut extract; continue to whisk until combined.
- Using a large rubber spatula, fold in the coconut, making sure the coconut is thoroughly folded through the batter.
- Shape dough into mounds, or haystack shapes using about 2 tablespoons of dough for each macaroon, and Pressing the shape firmly together. Tip: A size 40 ice cream scoop is ideal for making uniform-sized macaroons and makes the perfect haystack shape.
- Bake: Place macaroons about 1 inch apart onto baking sheets. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until macaroons are lightly golden brown on the bottom and the tops are lightly browned in spots. Tip: The coconut will tend to brown in spots. Do not bake until they are brown all over, but just until the tips of the coconut are lightly browned.
- Remove macaroons from the oven. Set baking sheets on a wire cooling rack, leaving the macaroons on the baking sheets to cool completely.
Topping:
- In top of a double boiler over hot water, melt chocolate. Or, place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl, use 50% power and stir frequently just until the chocolate is melted; do not overheat as mixture will burn easily. Tip: Create a double boiler by filling a saucepan with 2 inches of water and bringing it to a simmer. Turn the heat off and place a stainless steel, ceramic, or glass bowl on top of the simmering water, the upper pan should not touch the water.
- Remove cooled macaroons from baking sheet. Dip the bottom of the macaroon into the melted chocolate. Place on a parchment paper or wax paper lined baking sheet to harden.
- After dipping all the macaroons in chocolate, spoon any remaining melted chocolate into a small plastic freezer bag; roll over top of bag to keep neater. (You could also use a plastic squeeze bottle with a tip available in decorating stores), Twist the top of the bag to create some pressure to make easier to squeeze out. Cut a tiny corner off the tip of the bag. Drizzle chocolate over the top of the macaroons.
- Let macaroons sit 1 to 2 hours, or until chocolate hardens, or place in the refrigerator to chill and harden, about 30 minutes.
Source: Taste of the South Magazine, Christmas Cooking Southern Style, 2007