Desserts
German Chocolate Macaroons
Some cookies impress you with their good looks. Sweet, dense, and chewy, coconut macaroons impress you with their taste. This one, loaded with flavors from German chocolate cake, is sure to become a year-round favorite. More than anything, this cookie was inspired by the signature coconut-pecan frosting the cake is famous for. Sweetened condensed milk helps bind the cookie together, sweeten it, and, once reduced, decorate the outer layer as well.
Ingredients
FOR THE MACAROONS, MINCE:
WHISK:
FOR THE TOPPING, COOK:
Test Kitchen Tips
Pecans are an integral flavor, but to ensure the cookies hold together, chop them on the small side, so they bind easily. Mincing part of the coconut and chilling the dough helps hold them together, too.
If the reduced sweetened condensed milk becomes too thick to drizzle, add a bit of milk to thin it.
Instructions
For the macaroons, mince 1½ cups coconut in a food processor; transfer to a large bowl. Add remaining coconut and pecans, tossing to combine.
Whisk together ⅓ cup sweetened condensed milk, egg whites, flour, sugar, butter, vanilla, and salt in a bowl; gently mix into coconut and pecans until combined. Chill dough 1–24 hours.
Preheat oven to 350°. Line baking sheets with parchment.
Scoop dough onto prepared baking sheets, one inch apart, with a #60 scoop (about 2 tsp.).
Bake macaroons until brown on base and golden on tops and edges, 16–18 minutes. Let macaroons cool on baking sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack.
For the topping, cook remaining sweetened condensed milk in a double boiler until slightly thickened, 45 minutes; keep warm.
Melt chocolate with shortening, stirring until smooth. Top each macaroon with 1 tsp. chocolate; let stand. Once chocolate is set, drizzle macaroons with thickened condensed milk.
Use a food processor to mince some of the coconut. The fine texture helps bind the cookies together.
So the dry ingredients hold together, use your hands to thoroughly coat them with the egg white mixture.
Use a teaspoon measure to divide the melted chocolate topping evenly among the macaroons.