Cooking with Coconut

Well, hello there.

It's been a while. I hope you've enjoyed August as much as I did. Alas, fall is just around the corner, bringing with it new opportunities for entertaining... though in this case, of the indoor sort. I attended a dinner party recently, and as always, the question of what to bring the host crossed my mind. A fabulous bottle of wine is always great, if not somewhat expected. (While we're on the topic of expectations, if you do bring wine, don't expect it to be served that night...the host probably has a wine pairing in mind already, or will want to save your special gift for another time.) Flowers, while thoughtful, actually require a fair amount of work - trimming the stems, finding the right vase - things the host doesn't really have time for while he or she is trying to throw together dinner. (Sending flowers the day after or the day before is a better bet.) It's always nice to bring something homemade. This dessert of chocolate-dipped coconut macaroons is dangerously easy to make and a sure crowd pleaser. I adapted it from the now-defunct Domino magazine. Recipe as follows:

Serves 12

• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cups finely shredded coconut (unsweetened works best)
  
• 2 1/2 oz. bittersweet dark chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 deg. F. To a medium bowl, add egg whites and a pinch salt; beat with an electric mixer until stiff. Fold in sugar and vanilla (gently, please), then stir in coconut. Using a small ice cream scoop or a spoon, form cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly golden, then let cool for 30 minutes. For the chocolate topping: Using a metal or glass bowl, set up a double boiler. (Meaning, fill a small saucepan halfway with water, let it start to boil, and place the heatproof bowl directly on the saucepan. The boiling water shouldn't be touching the bowl, though. It allows the steam to heat the bowl and keeps the chocolate from burning.) Melt the chocolate in the double boiler. Now the choice is yours - either dip the macaroons into the chocolate, making a sort of coconut black-and-white cookie, or simply drizzle the chocolate over the macaroons on the sheet pan in an artful way. Either way, it will taste delicious.