
[It’s] ideal for folks like me who have a very soft spot for coconut flavor—whether it’s the coconut drops I ate as a kid or the fresh flesh I always loved digging into after a coconut fell from the tree in DR.
[It’s] ideal for folks like me who have a very soft spot for coconut flavor—whether it’s the coconut drops I ate as a kid or the fresh flesh I always loved digging into after a coconut fell from the tree in DR.
There are few cookies as foolproof as macaroons. To take the coconutty treat to the next level, try the rose water and coconut macaroons from Paola Velez’s new cookbook, Bodega Bakes: Recipes for Sweets and Treats Inspired by My Corner Store.
“There’s nothing wrong with regular old coconut flakes,” Velez writes, “but if you want to see what a huge difference hitting just the right texture can make in a dessert, try the super finely ground Baker’s Angel Flake. Myriad bits of coconut disperse evenly throughout the batter, which is ideal for folks like me who have a very soft spot for coconut flavor.”
Vanilla bean paste also intensifies their vanilla flavor and aroma, but you could substitute vanilla extract if you must. Just don’t skip the rose water: These floral stunners won’t be the same without it.
Recipes reprinted with permission from Bodega Bakes: Recipes for Sweets and Treats Inspired by My Corner Store by Paola Velez © 2024. Published by Union Square & Co. Photographs © 2024 Lauren V. Allen.
2 large egg whites
5⅓ cups (14 ounces) unsweetened Baker’s Angel Flake coconut flakes
One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
½ teaspoon rose water
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line one large baking sheet or two small baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Degrease the equipment you’re going to use to whip your egg whites.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, whip the egg whites on high speed until they’ve doubled in volume and form stiff peaks (they should look like a fluffy cloud), about 4 minutes.
4. In a large bowl, combine the coconut flakes, condensed milk, salt, vanilla and rose water. Use a rubber spatula to mix until a paste forms. Add one-third of the whipped egg whites and vigorously mix with the spatula until incorporated. Add the rest of the egg whites and use the spatula to gently fold them in. The mixture should remain aerated.
5. Using a two-ounce cookie scoop (or a large spoon—your portions should be ¼ cup), scoop mounds of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving 1½ to 2 inches between each macaroon and 1 inch between the macaroons and the edges of the pan.
6. Bake until golden, 23 to 25 minutes. Remove them from the oven and cool on the pan before serving.
281 calories
21g fat
22g carbs
5g protein
18g sugars