Well ... it's been awhile (and here's a recipe for coconut macaroons!)

Sorry for the long delay!

The baking bug hasn't been gone, but I've had a busy couple of months in the world of theater and some how blogging has fallen to the wayside. I've been all over the off-Broadway map lately. Well, not really. I've been hovering around midtown making appearances (and baked goods) at a few different theaters.

In the process of all this theater work, I decided to make my own macaroons for Passover this year. The ones in the tins are just so expensive! And I discovered something astonishing. Macaroons - super easy to make. In my almost 30 years on this earth, I didn't know that macaroons didn't need to be dry! I'm ruined. I will never be able to go back to the sad, dry, canned macaroons.

So, here you have it:

Coconut Macaroons

Prep time: 5 minutes
Baking time: 15 minutes

Total time: about 25 minutes
Yields about 4 dzn cookies

Ingredients

• 5 cups flaked sweetened coconut
• 3 egg whites
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla
• (optional) 2/3 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped semi-sweet chocolate

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
3. Beat the egg whites in a large bowl
   
4. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
   
5. Scoop out 1 inch mounds, placed about 1 inch apart, on a lined cookie sheet.
   
6. Bake for 15 minutes, until just turning brown.
   
7. Cool and store in a sealed container between sheets of waxed or parchment paper.
   

The macaroons will keep well in an air tight container for several days.