fun pretty things

I think i mentioned when we went to Seattle this past July and ate our way through the entire city. Really - we ate our way through Tom Douglas' restaurants. We had been watching "The Best Thing I ever Ate" on the food network and his restaurants kept showing up. So we just ate at all of them...over the course of a 4 day trip. To this day, if anyone is on their way to Seattle I tell them, at the very least, they MUST eat at Serious Pie. (ANYONE can find a minute and the budget to get pizza right?) And if they can find the time, Dahlia Lounge and Lola's will not disappoint. And one of my favorite memories was eating at his fish restaurant, Etta's. We were sitting near the front of the restaurant and a Golden Retriever stopped outside the front door, and the hostess brought him a treat. Apparently, that happens every night. I mean, seriously, does a place get more charming than that?

Anyways - i also LOVE macarons (the french style), and coconut macaroons. And this morning i was reading this AWESOME food blog, Orangette, when the subject of macaroons came up. After some internet rambling, i got here....

Turns out, Tom Douglas makes coconut macaroons, but looking over the recipe, and the picture, these look like the perfect hybrid between macarons and macaroons. Recipe is below....got it from here. Making these today.

Coconut Macaroons à la Dahlia Bakery 

Adapted from Tom’s Big Dinners, by Tom Douglas

2 large egg whites 

A pinch of salt 

2/3 cup granulated sugar 

2 Tbs unbleached all-purpose flour 

1 tsp pure vanilla extract 

2 ¼ cups sweetened shredded coconut (Seattlest prefers Baker’s “Angel Flake” brand, no doubt full of chemicals, but delicious)

Place the egg whites and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or, alternatively, in medium mixing bowl with handheld beaters nearby. Beat the egg whites on high speed until they hold stiff peaks. Gradually add the sugar, and continue to beat the egg white mixture for a minute or two, until it is glossy and smooth. Add the flour and vanilla, and beat the mixture on medium speed to just combine. If you are using a stand mixer, remove the bowl from the machine. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the coconut into the egg white mixture. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for 8 hours, or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and spray the paper with cooking spray; alternatively, line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat, in which case you won’t need to grease it. Fill a small bowl with warm water, and set it nearby.

Using a round tablespoon-size measuring spoon, scoop mounds of the batter onto the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. About 12-15 scoops will fit on a standard sheet. Do not flatten the batter; you want it to bake as a small mound. After each scoop, swish the measuring spoon in the bowl of warm water; this will help to keep the spoon clean and allow the sticky coconut batter to release from it more easily. When you have filled the baking sheet, bake the macaroons for 18-20 minutes, or until they are golden. Allow the macaroons to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes; then transfer them to a rack to cool completely. Repeat the process with the remaining batter.

The finished macaroons will keep nicely for a day or two in an airtight container at room temperature, or for a couple of weeks in the freezer.