Yes, a second coconut cookie recipe in the 12 Days of Cookies. Do you know why? Because I love coconut. I am one of its people. Coconut is delicious and I should use it more; we all should. Coconut cream pie, crisp coconut butter cookies, coconut gelato, and chewy macaroons; all are wonderful and I’ve already discussed my fondness for coconut candy bars. I especially like it with tropical flavors like pineapple, mango, citrus and how can you beat a good, properly made piña colada? It is an ingredient that has the power to immediately transport you to another place, one with sunlight and endless sandy beaches. This recipe fits right into those criteria. A little lime in the coconut, if you will.
Do you remember that song from the 70’s? It was a strange one but kind of catchy. I sang it often while I was testing this recipe because it took me a while to get this one right. I thought maybe those kooky lyrics would channel some positive tropical energy my direction. But the cookies kept spreading every which way. So on the fifth try, I broke with macaroon tradition and added some flour. It worked. Hooray!
While it starts out as a traditional coconut macaroon, this one takes a few wild turns. The aforementioned flour is one, but I also added lime juice and zest for a good tangy zing. There’s also a little chile powder for something unexpected. They’re not overtly spicy, rather there’s a little subtle something that is hard to identify, a little warmth. It makes for an interesting cookie, one that’s a nice break from the typical offerings you find at this time of year. This one will break through all that chocolate and inescapable sweetness in a most addictive way.
STRESS THERAPY BAKING FACTOR: LIKE A WARM TROPICAL BREEZE. When you need something different, pull this one out. It’s varies greatly from the typical holiday cookie – tangy, sweet, chewy and yes, a little warm. And make sure you bust out those kooky lyrics too. It helps get you in the right frame of mind.
Six years ago: Adventures in India
Five years ago: Christmas Cookie Primer, Gingerbread with the Kids
Four years ago: Homemade for the Holidays
Three years ago: Lemon Slice Cookies
Two years ago: Pumpkin Spice Granola
Last year: Cider Apple Pie
12 Days of Cookies Recap so far:
— Day 1 – Pretzel Caramel Shortbread
— Day 2 – Fig Mezzaluna
— Day 3 – Dutch Windmills
— Day 4 – Bourbon Peach Rugelah
— Day 5 – Chai Spiced Meringue Kisses
— Day 6 – Almond Joy Bars
— Day 7 – Swedish Kringla
CHILE LIME MACAROONS
Makes about 3 dozen
2 cups sweetened desiccated coconut flakes (7 ounces)
¾ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons lime zest – zest of 2 limes
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground cayenne (or less if desired)
1/8 teaspoon ground chipotle
2 large egg whites
¾ cup sugar
3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, toss together the coconut, flour, lime zest, cayenne, chipotle and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites, sugar and lime juice until combined.
- With a rubber spatula, fold the coconut mixture into the egg white mixture until well combined.
- With a ½ ounce scoop or 1 Tablespoon measure, scoop, packing the mixture tightly and drop onto silicone baking mat lined sheet pans about 1” apart.
- Bake 18-20 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until lightly golden brown. Cool completely on the sheet pans.
- Cookies will keep tightly wrapped at room temperature up to 1 week.
STRESSCAKE 
Leave a Reply