Festive Coconut Macaroons

Ingredients

• 4 egg whites
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 4 cups coconut
• 1/4 cup chopped red candied cherries
• 1/4 cup chopped green candied cherries

Instructions

1. 1

   --- Preparation ---

2. 2

   Heat oven to 325°F. Grease and lightly flour cookie sheets. In large bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Beat in sugar, flour, salt and almond extract until well blended. Stir in coconut and candied cherries. Drop dough by scant tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto cookie sheets.

3. 3

   Bake 13 to 17 minutes or until set and lightly browned. Immediately remove from cookie sheets.

4. 4

   --- Tips ---

5. 5

   When preparing cookies or bars that contain coconut, flaked coconut is preferred. Flaked coconut pieces are smaller and thinner than shredded. Shredded coconut is recommended for decorating or garnishing.

6. 6

   Instead of greasing and flouring the cookie sheets, lining them with parchment paper is convenient and saves cleaning time. Parchment paper, which comes in rolls and can be found in the supermarket near the plastic wrap, is particularly recommended for cookies that can stick to the baking surface, such as macaroons and meringues.