These coconut nest cookies are basically vanilla meringues made with
sweetened, shredded dried coconut. Make a shallow depression in the
center of each cookie before baking, then fill with jelly beans or other
Easter candy once the meringues have cooled.
Ingredients:
- 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon dark rum or vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded dried coconut
- Egg-shaped candies or jelly beans
Directions:
1.
Cut two pieces of cooking parchment to fit two 10- by 15-inch baking
sheets. With a pencil, draw 10 evenly spaced 2-inch circles on each
piece of parchment. Place each, marked side down, on a baking sheet.
2.
In a large bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer, with a hand-held mixer
or the standing mixer's whisk attachment, beat egg whites and cream of
tartar at high speed until foamy. Add salt and beat until stiff peaks
form, 2 to 4 minutes. Gradually add sugar, beating mixture until sugar
has dissolved completely (rub a little between your fingers to check; if
it feels gritty, sugar is not dissolved) and mixture is glossy, thick,
and very billowy, 2 to 5 minutes. Beat in rum, then gently fold in
coconut.
3. Mound mixture in 3- to 4-tablespoon portions in marked circles.
Using a spoon, make a shallow depression in the center of each so it
resembles a nest.
4. Bake cookies in a 250° regular oven (convection not recommended)
until light golden, about 1 hour, switching pan positions halfway
through baking. Turn oven off, leaving cookies inside, and let stand
until dry and firm to the touch, about 2 hours longer. Remove from oven
and let cool completely on sheets, then peel off parchment.
5. Set candies or jelly beans in each nest.
Note: Nutritional analysis is per unfilled cookie.
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