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    Home » Cookies

    Coconut Macaroons with Cherries and Dark Chocolate

    Published: Jan 1, 2022 · Updated: Oct 7, 2024 · by Barbara · This post may contain links on which I could make a small commission if an item is purchased · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    I don't think it was fair to have two different cookies with the same name. The coconut macaroon originated in Italy, while France has almost any flavor of their famous macaroons. I could eat both with no problem at all. But I am a sucker for the coconut macaroon.

    Side view of three baked coconut macaroons on a piece of parchment paper which is on a wooden tray.

    I decided to add tart-dried cherries to this version. However, I also wanted chocolate, and dark chocolate goes perfectly with tart cherries.

    They are easy to make and can be mixed, baked, and dipped in an hour. My kind of cookie since this week between Christmas and New Year's is always busy.

    What Ingredients You Will Need

    Ingredients for Coconut macaroons with cherries and dark chocolate on a marble background.
    Jump to Recipe for Amounts
    • Sweetened Coconut shredded
    • Condensed milk
    • Vanilla Extract
    • Almond extract
    • All-purpose flour
    • Kosher Salt
    • Dark chocolate wafers
    • Tart dried-cherries

    How to Mix, Bake, and Dip a Coconut Macaroon

    Throw the coconut, flour, condensed milk, vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt into a stand or hand mixer bowl. Mix till incorporated. Next, add the tart-dried cherries, and you want to blend them through. If you have a solid one-piece spatula, you can move the cherries around to be more even throughout the cookie dough.

    All ingredients mixed in a mixer bowl, ready to scoop and bake.

    Mix and Bake the Macaroons

    Take a medium cookie scooper (a scooper makes the perfect doom for a macaroon) and add twelve scoops (they do not spread, so you can add a few more if you have room) to a parchment-lined cookie sheet pan. You have a choice on how your coconut macaroons will look when baked.

    I leave some coconut sticking out, so they get toasted when baked. But you can undoubtedly tuck those coconut pieces in; the choice is yours.

    Twelve mounds of coconut macaroons on parchment paper ready for the oven.

    Bake at 350°F (175°C or 180°C) for 10-12 minutes. Move them to a cooling rack to cool after pulling them from the oven.

    Chocolate Bottoms

    The easiest way to get the chocolate bottom is by putting a good 1 or 2 handfuls of chocolate coating wafers into a microwave-safe bowl. Heat the wafers for 30 seconds, stir, heat for 15 seconds, and stir again. If all the wafers are close to melted, stir until they are completely melted. If your microwave is a lower power model, you can do another 10 seconds. You do not want to overheat the chocolate, or it will get hard, dull, and lumpy.

    Then dip the bottoms into the melted chocolate and set them on their side. It only takes seconds for this kind of chocolate to set. Setting fast is why I love coating chocolate wafers.

    Showing just a thin layer of chocolate on the bottom of the cookie.

    I only put a thin layer of chocolate on the bottom, or that will be all you taste. The dark chocolate works so well with the tart-dried cherries and coconut. Enjoy!

    Top view of three baked coconut macaroons on a piece of parchment paper which is on a wooden tray.

    Storage

    You can store these cookies in a sealed container for 7-8 days. After that, the coconut on the outside will get stiffer, but the middle will still stay soft.

    Here Are A Few Other Coconut Cookies

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    • A group of a coconut almond chocolate cream cheese cookie on a wooden board.
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    Recipe

    Side view of three baked coconut macaroons on a piece of parchment paper which is on a wooden tray.
    QR Code

    Coconut Macaroons with Cherries and Dark Chocolate

    Barbara Hall
    If you love coconut macaroons, you have got to try this version. The tartness of the cherries against the sweet, creamy coconut and the dark chocolate is divine.
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    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Bake Time 24 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr
    Course Cookies
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 26 cookies
    Calories 226 kcal

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    Ingredients
     

    • 14 ounces (14 ounces) Sweetened Coconut shredded
    • 14 ounce (14 ounce) Condensed milk
    • 2 teaspoons (2 teaspoons) Vanilla Extract
    • 1 teaspoons (1 teaspoons) Almond extract
    • ⅔ cup (83.33 g) All-purpose flour
    • ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Kosher Salt
    • 1 cup (236.59 g) Dark chocolate wafers
    • 1 cup (125 g) Tart dried-cherries

    Instructions
     

    • Weigh out your flour, coconut and add them to a mixer bowl. Next, add condensed milk, vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt and turn your mixer on to a low speed. Incorporate all the ingredients before adding the tart-dried cherries. You can finish spreading the cherries evenly using a good spatula.
    • I am using a medium cookie scoop. Add 12 to 15 scoops onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet pan. These cookies do not need much room between the cookies since they do not spread. So an inch is plenty of space. Bake at 350°F (175°C or 180°C) for 10-12 minutes. When I see the coconut pieces that stick out start to get toasted, I watch the time. Finally, move them to a cooling rack after being pulled from the oven.
    • After the macaroons have cooled, it is time to melt the chocolate. Take a handful of the dark chocolate wafers and add them to a microwavable dish. If your microwave has a melt setting, you can use that, but if you do not, turn the microwave on for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave for another 15 seconds. Stir again; you can heat for another 5 to 10 seconds if needed. Do not overheat your chocolate, or it will be dull, hard, and lumpy.
    • Take a cooled macaroon and dip the bottom into the melted dark chocolate. Set the cookies on their side to harden. It only takes about a minute for the chocolate to harden. Enjoy!

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    NUTRITION DISCLAIMER

    I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist. The nutrition amounts given below are provided through a program and are only a guideline.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 226kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 3gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 71mgPotassium: 144mgFiber: 4gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 206IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 52mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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    Barb the owner of my cookie journey head shot.

    Hi, I'm Barbara Hall, the baker and photographer behind My Cookie Journey, a blog devoted to creating and sharing unique cookie recipes. A retired IT pro, I now spend my day's baking, styling, and snapping photos of cookies that have been featured in multiple regional magazines.

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