So the other day, I was browsing the internet and I came across some macaroons with a kiss in them. I knew right away that I just had to make some! I changed up the recipe a bit to suit my own tastes, and let's just say.... they didn't last very long when I took them to work! These are not the typical egg white-meringue type of confection. They are a soft and chewy cream cheese based cookie heavily laden with coconut, definitely not overly sweet, and the toasted coconut on the outside.. oh!... heaven if you enjoy coconut. They are very simple to make, and the dough can be refrigerated and baked as needed (which could be a problem!). The Hershey's kiss in the middle takes them over the top and the whole thing is just waiting to be enjoyed with a nice cup of hot tea or coffee.
Ingredients: (4 dozen cookies)
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose (AP) flour
- 1 Tbsp, plus 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp table salt
- 2/3 cup butter, softened
- 6 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 Tbsp good quality vanilla
- 3/4 tsp almond extract
- 1 Tbsp, plus 1 tsp fresh orange juice
- 10 cups sweetened flaked coconut, divided into 6 cup and 4 cup portions
- 48 Hershey Kisses
Step-by-Step:
In a medium sized mixing bowl, sift together your flour, baking powder and salt. Set these aside for later. Sifting makes the flour oh so fluffy and avoids it being "packy," as over time it can become compacted.
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| 2 1/2 cups all purpose (AP) flour |
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| 1 Tbsp, plus 1 tsp baking powder |
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| 1/2 tsp table salt |
In your stand mixer, beat together the butter, cream cheese, and sugar until light and fluffy.
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| 2/3 cup butter, softened |
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| 6 oz cream cheese, softened |
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| 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar |
Now add the egg yolks, vanilla, almond extract, and fresh squeezed orange juice. Beat until smooth.
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| 2 egg yolks |
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| 1 Tbsp good quality vanilla (I like the clear Mexican vanilla best) |
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| 1/2 - 3/4 tsp almond extract |
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| 1 Tbsp, plus 1 tsp fresh orange juice |
In 1 cup increments, mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture.
Once the flour is incorporated, add in the 6 cups of coconut. Mix well to combine.
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| 6 cups sweetened flaked coconut |
Cover and refrigerate your dough for about an hour.
While you are waiting, go ahead and unwrap your Hershey's Kisses. I would recommend buying more than needed. Invariably, someone is going to pass through the kitchen and grab a few from your stash!
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| 48 Hershey's Kisses |
Okay... now that our dough is chilled, let's get down to business!
Get your oven preheated to 350 degrees F. Prepare your pans with parchment paper for easy release. Scoop the dough out using a 1 Tbsp measuring spoon. This will give you balls of about 1 1/2 ". Roll them in your hand into a smooth ball, and roll in the remaining 4 cups coconut.
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| 1+ Tbsp dough each |
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| 1.5" dough balls |
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| roll into remaining 4 cups of coconut |
Arrange them on the parchment paper leaving ample room between them. They will spread a bit. I was able to put 1 dozen cookies on each pan at a time.
Bake for 12 - 13 minutes. The cookies will be puffy and lightly browned.
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| 350 degrees F x 12 min |
After the baking time, remove the cookies and immediately press a Hershey's Kiss into the center of each cookie.
Place them BACK into the oven for another minute. Then remove them and set them out on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes or so. They will firm up a bit. The chocolate will stay soft for quite a while, so let them cool completely before packaging them up. I put them in an airtight container to bring to work. I can't tell you how long they will last.. obviously not long at the office!
I really hope you enjoyed this recipe! There are tons more of them here on the blog, so why don't you click on over to my
Recipe Index and see for yourself.
As always, here are some "bonus" recipes for you. Just click the links to go directly to the recipes.
mmm... they look amazingly good@!!! YUM!!
ReplyDeletePlease check www.TheMacaronMaster.com