Cocoa Macaroons

Sometimes, I feel like making dessert out of what I have on hand. It's a way to stretch my imagination and discover new tastes that can become new favorites.

For Father's Day, I wanted to make something sweet that my dad will enjoy. So I checked out the fridge and the kitchen cabinets for ingredients I can use. I found shredded coconut (courtesy of my Tita Malou, who also loves to cook) and decided I would make macaroons.

Growing up, I had always seen my mom and my aunt make macaroons with condensed milk. I didn't have that on hand, so once again, I had to improvise. Powdered milk and sugar should be good substitutes. I also had Dutch-processed cocoa, so I figured why not mix them in?

The macaroons were a success. For my family, the addition of cocoa was a nice surprise. They've always had the usual macaroons. They say the look is reminiscent of Bukayo, a local dessert made by simmering strips of young coconut in its juice and brown sugar. I probably wasn't thinking of how it would photograph when I added the cocoa powder, but despite its lack of visual appeal, it tastes good.

Cocoa Macaroons aren't the best things to look at ;p

Cocoa Macaroons
Ingredients:
4 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups desiccated coconut
3 tablespoons powdered milk
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla


Procedure:
1. In a heavy skillet, combine all of the ingredients except for the vanilla. Heat over low, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom as you stir.
2. When the mixture is beginning to scorch at the bottom, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
3. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, then let it cool slightly to room temperature. Chill the mixture completely in the fridge.
4. Preheat oven to 350° F. Drop heaping teaspoons of the mixture onto greased or parchment-line baking sheets. Bake for 20 minutes.


Happy cooking!