Magnificent Macaroon

My dad's brain tumor surgery is supposed to be this Friday and I was thinking about something special I could make to surprise him with. I know he loves coconut, I made a coconut cake for our early Easter celebration and he loved that...I know! Macaroons! I recently saw a recipe for them and thought I'd give it a try. I bought the ingredients and stopped by my new favorite place, Sweet Mercantile Co. To find something cute/festive to put the macaroons in. This is a magical place that has everything you can ever imagine for baking. I just found this place and it is only 1 minute from us, I'm not exaggerating either-I timed it:) They also have cake decorating classes, which I am definitely signing up for. How did I not know about this place sooner! Anyways, I got everything I needed and went to work. I am always a little nervous trying out new recipes but they turned out beautifully! Jeremy and his mom taste tested them and gave them a big thumbs up. I will definitely make these again-even though they are so not healthy:) I am giving them to my dad tomorrow, hope he likes them!

The Best Macaroons Ever

1 large bag of shredded or Flake Coconut
*I used a 14 oz. bag of Bakers Angel Flake coconut, you can also use shredded.
If you don’t want to worry about spreading, add about 1 1/2 cups extra coconut.
They won’t be quite as chewy though.
1 can of Condensed Milk (Eagle Brand)
1 Teaspoon Almond Extract
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
dash of salt
1 egg white
Directions:
Heat oven to 375 degrees

Mix all ingredients together until well blended. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper, or spray sheets with cooking spray. With a small or large ice cream scoop, place mounds of coconut mixture onto trays. These macaroons spread a bit, so don’t place too closely together. Bake at 375 degrees until very golden brown. The bottoms of the cookies should be very brown. Approximate baking time in my oven is about 15-18 minutes. Check the cookies half way through. Don’t panic if they have spread! Take a knife or a heat proof spatula, and press edges back to center.These are also good filled with Raspberry or Strawberry jam, and drizzled with white or Dark Chocolate. You can also make macaroon cookies, and drizzle with chocolate or dip the bottoms in melted chocolate. Once dipped, place back on parchment paper lined cookie sheet, and place in freezer or fridge until the chocolate has set. These will stay moist and chewy for days.