Recipe Coconut Espresso Macaroons

[The Late Night Gourmet]

For someone who prefers savory foods and never orders dessert, I certainly do make a lot of them. This was a Mothers Day gift to my wife, though I think the kids will eat most of them. I had a somewhat light coconut macaroon recipe that uses fat free condensed milk, and decided that espresso powder would be a nice addition. My first attempt, I didn't add enough espresso powder, so I doubled it for this one, and I think the coffee flavor really does come through. I'm surprised the macaroons aren't more...brown.

I decided to use mini cupcake trays instead of the parchment paper I specify below. Because of this, the macaroons were smaller, so I created 36 instead of the 20 that I would have made otherwise. This means that the cook time needs to be reduced by 5-10 minutes to prevent burning.

Ingredients

14 ounces sweetened flaked coconut
14 ounces fat-free condensed milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon espresso powder
2 extra large egg whites, at room temperature
1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Combine the coconut, condensed milk, espresso powder, and vanilla in a large bowl. Whip the egg whites and salt on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until they make medium-firm peaks. Carefully fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.
3. NOTE: Because fat free condensed milk is thinner than regular condensed milk, it may be necessary to allow some liquid to drip out before dropping the batter onto the cookie sheet.
4. Drop the batter onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper using either a 1 3/4-inch diameter ice cream scoop, or 2 teaspoons. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and serve.