Coconut Macaroons

So what's the difference between a macaroon and a macaron? Officially, a macaron is meringue-based and made with almond flour while macaroons are made with coconut. But for real? Macarons are a pain in the ass to make while macaroons are a walk in the park.

Seriously, these are super easy - whip up some egg whites and sugar, add in a heap of coconut, a bit of vanilla and almond essence, throw them in the oven, and you've got a delicous cookie with a crisp and toasted craggy shell that encases a chewy and tender interior, with a texture that is light but not overly sweet.

Make sure you get shredded coconut rather than dessicated, as the finer pieces tend to get swallowed up by the sugar mixture and you really want to coconut to be front and centre. For an airier texture to your macaroons, take the eggs out of the fridge 30 minutes before you start your bake, and if you want to dial up the crispy coconut of it all, toast the shredded coconut for about 5 minutes before you add it in to the mix. There's also the option of dipping the base in melted chocolate once they've cooled...