Nina's Macaroons

My love of coconut goes back to the fifth grade. My teacher went on a vacation to Hawaii and brought back a coconut still in the husk, we spent all morning breaking into it and by recess we each had a chunk of fresh coconut to take out onto the playground with us. After that I would beg my dad to get coconuts at the grocery store, and if I was lucky, and they were on sale, sometimes he would give in and get me one. I also had a newfound appreciation for the macaroons that my grandmother made. This is her recipe, and the cookies are delicious, a bit golden and crispy on the outside and moist and chewy inside. It is also dead easy, there are only six ingredients, but unlike some things (such as the two ingredient cake, boxed cake mix and a can of pumpkin for example, which had the oddest texture) these cookies don't announce themselves as simple. Also, in case you haven't caught on by now, these are not the french macarons, with the meringue and the creamy filling but are rather the more american (or actually originally scottish if wikipedia is to be believed) coconutty ones. These are delicious as is, or you could dip them in chocolate, we had some icing from the smith island cake left over and dipped them in that and it was wonderful, although any chocolate ganache would do.

Cream one stick of oleo (or butter if that floats your boat, but I personally always use margarine because that is what the recipe calls for) with one cup of sugar and one egg.

Mix in the flour, coconut and almond extract.

Form the dough into balls, you may have to roll them between your palms a bit. I also like to make sure that there aren't too many long bits of shredded coconut sticking out, a few little bits turn golden, but long ones burn before the cookies are done.

Bake for 12 minutes at 350. If you want, dip them in chocolate once cool.

Nina's Macaroons

1 stick oleo (or butter)

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup flour

1 tsp. almond extract

3 cups shredded coconut, packed, unsweetened if you can find it, which I generally cant

Cream butter sugar and egg. Mix in the flour, almond extract and coconut. Form into walnut sized balls. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets for 12 minutes at 350.