After tonight's failed (well, not exactly failed, but not stellar either) supper experiment of phyllo wrapped chicken breasts with mushrooms and cheese... I needed to feel some semblance of culinary success.
Plus Cakes had eaten the last of little chocolate espresso cookies while I was at work.
Okay. It probably was more about the cookies than it was about the chicken.
It was obviously fate then that I still had a carton of egg whites left in the fridge after Australia Day's pavlova. I've been ruminating on little sweets that aren't totally calorific of late and sweet and chocolatey macaroons seem to fit that bll. These great little cookies are not terribly calorific and are just the perfect combination of sweet and crunchy and chewy-mallow in the middle. Just like a baby pavlova, but with chocolate and coconut!
They are also dead easy to knock up in mere minutes but then you have the pain of waiting at least 2 hours for them to set up in the oven! If you're the sort of person who's organised enough to bung some in the oven right after you get home, they should be ready by tea time. As I'm not that sort of person at all, We'll be waiting up 'till 10:30 to eat the first of those peskily good little babies.
- 3 egg whites
- 1/3 cup vanilla sugar
- 1/4 cup sifted cocoa
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup grated unsweetend coconut
Whip the egg whites until softish peaks form. Sprinkle the sugar over a Tablespoonful at a time while continueing to whip the eggs. They are sufficiently whipped when they make fairly upright peaks and the eggwhites are all thick and gorgeous and glossy. This takes about 5 minutes with my kitchenaid on 10. If you're using handheld beater, be prepared for a long haul.
Switch the attachment on your mixer from the whisk to the paddle. On the lowest speed, use the paddle to mix in the remaining ingredients until just combined.
Dollop by the tablespoon onto a baking pan lined with parchment. You should be able to make 20 big macaroons or 30 smallish ones.
Bung into 200F oven and turn the heat off. Leave them be for 2 hours.
Peel them off the parchment and, if they last long enough, store them in an airtight container. They'll keep that way for a couple of days, but they are heaps better fresh.
Each (large) macaroon has: 49 Cals; 2.8 gms fat; 1 gm fibre; 1 point.
Sorry. You'll have to make do with a photo of my scarily tidy kitchen as the macaroons aren't even out of the oven yet! How's that for real-time blogging?
Your macaroons sound wonderful although i have to say I am very impressed by your clean spotless kitchen, I wish mine was that tidy!!
Posted by: GastroChick | February 08, 2006 at 12:32 AM
Wow, I remember what it looked like when we were scrubbing soot off the cupboards. It looks fantastic!
Posted by: Chantelle | February 08, 2006 at 02:17 AM
Good lord....how do you do it?
I never want anyone to look into mine...it's never clean enough!
Posted by: Stephanie | February 08, 2006 at 11:35 AM
Wow!! Your kitchen is amazing! I especially love the bookshelf, and the spotless white outlook!
I love your blog and have linked to you as a favourite. Do srop my my blog sometime!
Cheers!
Posted by: Meena | February 08, 2006 at 11:38 AM
Chantelle: the house is totally different now! No longer can be mistaken for a crack house.
Steph: easy. no kids.
Meena: thanks for the invite. I'll drop by!
Posted by: Lyn | February 08, 2006 at 12:23 PM
Hi Lex,
I was searching for a pistachio cupcake recipe on Google after seeing the one on the 52 cupcakes website, and I was SOOO lucky to find your page! I am definitely going to be checking out your site daily.
Great work!
Posted by: Esther, Toronto | February 09, 2006 at 06:43 PM