These brownie macaroons are a great dessert and taste fantastic with shredded coconut.
Coconut is a staple food and is enjoyed pretty much all over Southeast Asia.
You can buy fresh young coconut from the store, the market, or even the peddler who sells them from his rickshaw-type vehicle. The water of a young coconut is super refreshing on a hot day and also very hydrating. Furthermore, it is said to have incredible health benefits like being anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. My ears definitely perked up at this!
Coconut Palm Trees Everywhere
All around the property of the house we are renting here in Bali, there are coconut palm trees. Whenever we want one, the gardener comes and cuts one down with a hooked knife attached to a looong pole (some of the palms are incredibly tall).
One day, even the old lady who works her rice field right next to our house gave us one as well. Once a tree brings fruit, it grows them in abundance. But apparently, it takes around 20 years until a coconut palm starts producing coconuts. Talk about patience...
Shredded Coconut is Great for Baking
Aside from coconut water, a young coconut usually has a type of jelly attached to its walls which you can spoon out and eat. When a coconut gets older, it is this jelly that gets thicker and harder and turns into the white flesh that shredded coconut is made of. This fact is very fascinating to me. Jelly to coconut? Hey - whatever works, Mother Nature!
Shredded coconut can be found in many sweet and savory dishes around Asia, and coconut milk is also often used for cooking rice and in sauces.
With this abundance of coconut around, I thought it would be fitting to make macaroons, but the chocolaty kind made with a brownie mix. I couldn't find already-shredded coconut at the store, so I bought half of a ripe coconut for its white flesh and grated it myself. It's not that hard!
I used Pillsbury's recipe which results in soft, chewy macaroons (I used a different, local brownie mix so had to make adjustments, but next time I would add even more shredded coconut).
Recipe
Brownie Macaroons Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pkg brownie mix 15.5 oz Pillsbury Fudge Supreme Chocolate Chunk Premium Brownie Mix
- 2 cups coconut
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease or line a cookie sheet.
- Stir together brownie mix and coconut. Add in water, oil, egg and mix well. Drop spoonfuls of dough onto cookie sheet. Optionally sprinkle with a few coconut shreds.
- Bake macaroons for 12-15 minutes until edges are set. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes then cool fully on wire rack.
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A Hiccup and Some Heat!
In keeping with sharing not only successes but also failures (like the charcoal clusters last time), let me share my not-so-great experiment with the macaroons.
Just before I left the store that day, I spied a bag of what looked like some sort of shredded coconut after all. I couldn't read any of the print (well, I could, but I didn't understand anything), and I thought maybe it was already toasted coconut.
At home I tried a little of the bagged shredded coconut.
Well...it set my mouth on FIRE!
What gave the coconut its brownish/reddish color is the chilli it is mixed with!
But isn't there something like chilli chocolate that they sell in stores? So I thought chilli brownie macaroons might be interesting too. However, they turned out WAYYY too spicy for us and impossible to eat. How funnY! It might work to replace just part of the coconut with chilli coconut, but definitely not all of it. Trust me!
Continue Being Creative in the Kitchen
Now we are using the spicy coconut to season savory dishes. It add a really nice flavor to sauces, soups etc.
At any rate, feel free to make your own and tell us if you went spicy or normal!
Other Recipes You Might Enjoy
Take a look at these 3 similar recipes!
Common Questions
Coconut macaroons can be considered a relatively healthy snack option. They contain coconut, which is rich in healthy fats and various nutrients. However, the addition of other ingredients like sugar and chocolate may increase the calorie content. It's essential to consume them in moderation as part of a balanced diet.
Sogginess in coconut macaroons can occur due to various reasons. One common cause might be excess moisture in the mixture, either from the coconut or other wet ingredients. Overmixing the batter or insufficient baking time could also lead to a softer texture. Ensuring the right balance of ingredients and following the baking instructions precisely can help achieve the desired texture.
Coconut macaroons can be beneficial due to the nutritious properties of coconut. Coconuts are a rich source of healthy fats, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. They contain medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which are known to provide various health benefits, such as supporting heart health and promoting weight loss.
Additionally, coconut is believed to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties that can boost overall immunity. However, moderation is key, considering other ingredients like sugar and chocolate may add to the calorie count.
Kayla
I love chocolate and coconut together. These were simple and delicious!!!! I didn’t have the correct brownie mix on hand, so I had to improvise using the one I had. I had to add a little extra water and oil, and they were chocolate/coconut heaven!! So easy and quick to make too. I recommend!
Jacquee
These look delish! A dozen for me too - sans coconut.:) I love coconut water, but not the meat. Never heard of chili coconuts - I'm intrigued...
Regina
Haha...but I actually have brownie cookies (no coconut) coming up soon.
amy
holy moly, these look absolutely AMAZING! I'll take a dozen, please. =)
Regina
Thank you Amy, I'd totally give you a dozen, if they'd make the trip from Bali 🙂 Thanks for visiting here!