Waited so long and worked so hard...

I am shaking my head over this post.
Ohhhh, if you all only knew what lengths I've had to go through for this recipe. And you're gonna sit and read it too! LOL

A 20 year wait for this recipe, making it twice in row. Taste-testing it.... and thinking "am I losing my mind or cooking skills? Taking pictures, writing the pre-post, a feeling in the back of your mind....this doesn't feel right. Then an another surprise email, I find out that recipe was (oopsies!) WRONG...all pictures are now defunct, the recipes (old and tweaked one) in the post are inaccurate. The now for sure REAL recipe (completely different) had be done a third time before my posting comes up.

The madness for this Chocolate Macaroon started....

While I was in my sophomore year at college, we spent Christmas at my aunt and uncle's house. I remember only two things. My eccentric Danish exchange student roommate that invited herself to our holidays and the chocolate macaroons my aunt Lucia made. I think every time I walked by the plate of these beauties, I ate one.

We left with the recipe and it fell into my mom's deep abyss know as various manila envelopes where she stored her recipes. Perhaps a year later we requested for Aunt Lucia to make them again when they came up for the holidays. Twice eaten, never again did they return for the holidays. I think it's been maybe 20 years since I've eaten them....but never forgotten. Yes, they were THAT good!

I've asked my mom to look for the recipe....she couldn't find it. Too many recipes in too many envelopes (proof that the manila envelope filing system -sucks!) I emailed my cousin to harass her mom for the recipe....she emailed her mom, Lucia. I am reduced to gently harassing my cousin to get the recipe and she says her own emails get bounced to her mom's junk mail....sigh, sniff, sniff....

I've been dreaming, hoping, begging, searching....waiting. Finally Aunt Lucia came through (or so I thought, LOL). What finally made the difference? I told Lucia I had a food blog.

So here is the original recipe she sent:

Chocolate Macaroons*

1 (7 ounce) bag sweetened flaked coconut
3 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
2 (1 ounce) semi-sweet chocolate baking squares, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or foil; lightly coat with cooking spray (if using nonstick pans or liners, do not use cooking spray).

2. In large bowl, toss coconut with sugar until evenly coated. In a pan melt the chocolate; let cool slightly. In small bowl, combine egg whites, chocolate, vanilla and salt until blended. Add to coconut mixture; blend well with spatula.

3 On prepared baking sheet, form heaping table-spoonfuls of mixture into 15 mounds, 2 inches apart. Bake 15 minutes or until bottoms are golden and tops start to brown (centers will be slightly soft). Let cool 10 minutes on baking sheet; remove with spatula to wire rack; let cool completely on rack.

*These were NOT as I remembered, these were light brown, crispy on the outside and just tender on the inside. The coconut overly chewy. No way these were the same. Was my memory incorrect? Was I losing my touch in the kitchen?.... The color and moisture were all wrong...

My memory of them were DARK, moist, dense, creamy yet soft chew, and super fudge-like.

Now I switch the apron for my lab coat.....food scientist...to create something darker and more moist....

Chocolate Macaroons Version 2

1 (7 ounce) bag sweetened flaked coconut
3 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
1/4 cup Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
3 (1 ounce) semi-sweet chocolate baking squares, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or foil; lightly coat with cooking spray (if using nonstick pans or liners, do not use cooking spray).

2. In large bowl, toss coconut with sugar and cocoa powder until coconut is dark and evenly coated. In a pan melt the chocolate; let cool slightly. In small bowl, combine egg whites, chocolate, vanilla and salt until blended. Add to coconut mixture; blend well with spatula.

3 On prepared baking sheet, form heaping table-spoonfuls of mixture into 15 mounds, 2 inches apart. Bake 15 minutes or until bottoms are golden and tops start to brown (centers will be slightly soft). Let cool 10 minutes on baking sheet; remove with spatula to wire rack; let cool completely on rack.

AND....Here are the results....


Version 1 on the left.- crunchy outside, over chewy coconut.

Version 2 on the right.- softer but gooey on the inside, yet still too chewy.









Here they are head to head, opened up.

Sorry to say version 2 is close....but it's not it. Dang it.






I email my Aunt Lucia telling her about the future posting and that I had to tweak the recipe for it wasn't the same as I remembered. Then she realized something wasn't right and it WASN'T the real recipe after all. Bless her heart, she dug for the recipe. She could have kept me in the dark I wouldn't have known really. She emailed me again and told me that I was going to shoot her. I was right, she didn't send me the right recipe at first....

Now, here it is!

The REAL Chocolate Macaroon

1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk

3 squares unsweetened chocolate

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cans (4 oz each) shredded coconut

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease cookie sheet.

In top of double boiler, combine condensed milk, chocolate squares, and salt; cook over boiling water, stirring frequently, until chocolate melts and mixture thickens, Remove from heat.

Add coconut and vanilla; mix well. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls, 1 inch apart, on cookie sheet. (Don't worry about space really, they don't spread at all- cram them on the sheet)

Bake 10 - 12 minutes or just until cookies are set. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

RESULTS? DING DING....OMG, I can die a happy woman now, an old friend is back in my life now after twenty years. Unfortunately, I have to check into rehab for a coconut overdose!

What is K-man's take on all this? He's tried all versions. He knows the full story, which is his favorite? The third one....he says it's melt in your mouth good, he used the term buttery but it's not got butter in it. LOL I was worried for a minute there for of the first two he like version 1 better. ACK! Thank god he likes THIS one as I do, for now I know he's a keeper. Otherwise it would have been sad to see him go..hahahhahaha.

The first two recipes are good if you like the crunchy, chewy type of macaroon or the second version if you like some gooey-ness. But I PROMISE you, the last recipe, is not only easy but I bet it will win you over too....afterall....for 20 years these beauties have lingered in my mind. Memory still good....check!

Lucia....these 'rock' like the days you made them, thank you so much for your tireless digging to give this to me....I will treasure this recipe always now and make them each holiday in honor of the best Aunt in the world! Love you!

Tired of coconut now but happy,