It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Our schedules are filled with holiday parties, get-togethers and – best of all – cookie exchanges. If you’re tired of bringing the same cookies as everyone else, try these almond joy macaroons. They’re a great addition to any holiday cookie exchange… if you don’t eat all of them before you get there!
Inside-Out Almond Joy Macaroons Cuisine Cookies for the Holidays
These inside-out Almond Joy macaroons are a Blended Kitchen favorite and an absolute go-to during the holiday season. Lindsey’s stepdad said these cookies are so good that he would eat thousands of them, so be sure to make extras of these – you and your family won’t be able to keep your hands off of them!
The coconut mixture needs to be really cold, so it’s a good idea to divide the coconut mixture into two bowls and keep one in the fridge while you work with the other. That way, when one of the bowls gets too warm, you can trade it out for the one in the fridge and keep working.
These heavenly cookies begin with a few simple ingredients.
Make sure to get CREAM of coconut, not coconut milk. This is what cream of coconut looks like – not runny and watery like coconut milk.
Begin by mincing coconut in the food processor.
This is how finely the coconut should be minced.
Add the rest of the bag of coconut to the mixture, incorporating it with the minced coconut.
Mix everything but the Hershey’s kisses together and then stick the dough in the fridge to chill for at least an hour (but no more than 24).
Once dough is chilled, take a heaping tablespoon of coconut dough into your hand and flatten it out. Place a kiss on top of the flattened mixture and wrap the coconut around the kiss, making sure it is enclosed completely. (This takes a little practice).
Wrap the kiss completely in coconut mixture.
Place each macaroon 1 inch apart on lined baking sheet. Bake until firm and deep golden on the bottom and light golden on the top–about 16-18 minutes.
Toasted to perfection!
Cool on pan for 5 minutes and transfer to cooling rack.
This is cookie exchange gold right here, folks.
Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients
1 (14 ounce) bag sweetened flaked coconut
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup cream of coconut – This is not coconut milk and you can’t substitute coconut milk for this. You can find it in grocery store liquor aisles or in liquor stores.
3 egg whites
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
32 Hershey’s chocolate kisses with almonds , unwrapped (you can use regular Hershey’s kisses if you’re not nuts about almonds – get it? Nuts!)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or foil.
Mince 1 1/2 cups of coconut in a food processor and transfer to a bowl.
Add remaining ingredients, EXCEPT kisses. Mix gently with your hands (or with a spatula, if you don’t want to take your rings off!) until combined.
Chill dough at least 1 hour (but no more than 24).
Once dough is chilled, place a heaping tablespoon of coconut dough into your hand and flatten it out. Place a kiss on top of the flattened mixture and wrap the coconut around the kiss, making sure it is enclosed completely. (This takes a little practice).
Place 1 inch apart on lined baking sheet and bake until firm and deep golden on the bottom and light golden on the top–about 16-18 minutes.
Cool on pan for 5 minutes and transfer to cooling rack.
Nom. nom. nom.
