We've had some surplus egg whites sitting in the fridge for a few days now. Initially I'd been hoping to use them for a sugar-free pavlova. But I hadn't had a chance to get back to the grocery store to get the sweetener and I was worried about them going off before I had a chance, so I opted to use them up in these macaroons instead. They were, ostensibly, meant to be chocolate-dipped macaroons, but we liked them so much as-is that we didn't bother with the chocolate.

The original recipe called for making these with sweetened coconut. This was clearly insane. I found them plenty sweet with just unsweetened coconut and the recommended amount of sugar. I think they would have been cloying and bordering on inedible with sweetened coconut!

Coconut Macaroons

Adapted from Dessert of the Day by Kim Laidlaw

Ingredients

• 250g unsweetened shredded dried coconut
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 4 medium egg whites

Directions

1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
2. Combine all ingredients and mix well.
3. Spread the mixture out on one of the baking sheets and chill for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 150°C (300°F).
5. Scoop up a generous tablespoon of the coconut mixture, form it into a ball, and place it on the other prepared baking sheet.
6. Repeat with remaining mixture.
7. Bake at 150°C (300°F) for 30 minutes.