These have to be one of the easiest cookies to make...and my recipe for Coconut Macaroons is a bonafide tried and true recipe - it has never failed me...until today. But I'm not going to blame the recipe...or, heaven forbid, moi....that would be wrong...instead I'm going to blame my new oven....it's not brand-spankin' new but in "oven time" it qualifies as new. My oven is 16 months old....and while it's been used practically every day, sometimes twice a day, it should still be working like a dream! I've had it repaired twice in the last year....TWICE!!! So today, I'm going to OUT my oven because if you're in the market for a new oven/stove combo, I want you to know that I think mine sucks!
When we redid our kitchen I wanted a Viking or a Wolf range/oven combo...and I had the mister on board...he was prepared to open his hermetically sealed wallet and everything...we went to look at appliances and there it was - the stove of my dreams...and it was $4,500.00.
Now, there are two things you need to know:
1. The mister promised me when we got married that I could have everything I needed....not everything I wanted...unfortunately all I heard was the first part!
2. I am great at spending little amounts of money....$50 here, $100 there, but never more than about $200 at a time...anything over that and I get a little queasy....so to spend that HUGE amount of money on something that I wanted was, well, it was very scary for me. So I told the mister that I needed to think about it. We left the appliance store and went to Home Depot to buy a lawn mower...he apparently has his needs, too!
As we walked in the door there sat this Jenn-Aire range/oven....only it didn't just have ONE OVEN...it HAD TWO!!! I was thrilled! My kitchen is rather small and I really wanted two ovens but didn't have room for them...so this was my answer! I happily gave up my silly notion of buying a dependable, reliable, albeit expensive range and purchased the Jenn-Aire....to the tune of $1,800....an enormous savings in comparison.....but now I'm crying WOLF....WOLF....I should have bought the WOLF!
The first batch of macaroons were burned - the coconut ending up hard and brittle. The second batch, pictured on the far right was a little overdone but edible and the third batch, pictured above on the left was just right...but only because I kept opening the door to look at the thermometer and then had to adjust the settings....exasperating! They should have baked in 15 minutes but instead took 30!!! I'll wait to call the repairman when I'm calmed down...but SOMEONE is going to GIVE ME SOME SATISFACTION! Oh yeah...it's no longer under warranty.
Coconut Macaroons - Pots and Pins
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 egg white
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoons almond extract
5 1/2 cups flaked coconut (about 2 1/2 of the 7 oz. packages)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking sheets with foil and grease and flour foil or use Silpat sheets. Set aside. In large bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk, egg white, vanilla and almond extracts. Stir in coconut. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets; with back of spoon, slightly flatten each mound. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until golden. Remove from baking sheets; cool on wire racks. Makes about 40 cookies.
