Coconut Macaroons.

We've gone over the macaron/macaroon divide before...and here's some more confusion to throw on the fire. You see in Scotland a macaroon is more of a confection than a baked good...with a fondant centre (made of left over potato in times of yore) covered in chocolate and coconut (I knoooow but don't blame them, it's faaar to here, they didn't get the 'macaroon memo' in time).

THIS...is not that, but is perhaps, no definitely, my favourite incarnation of the M-word. A big puffy ball of damp coconut help together by magic and prayers....ok egg whites and rye flour, in this instance.

They're very old school English and would fit perfectly in an Enid Blyton tea time and while they look all pretty and delicate, they are actually fairly robust and therefore perfect picnic fayre.

I used rye flour because I'm a health nut and want to make everything gluten free I'd run out of ground almonds and thought I'd give it a go...it works darn well, and makes me feel very 'health food shop'. So there you have it, a biscuit to make you feel like you're wearing a hessian shirt to an Edwardian tea party and tasting bloomin' lovely...what more could you ask for. With Love and Cake.

Rye and Coconut Macaroons.

Adapted from a Nigella recipe; from How to Be A Domestic Goddess.

A few notes:

• If you don't have rye flour and don't fancy investing, replace with the same amount of ground almonds.
• If you happen to have it (and if you do, I LOVE you), replace the vanilla extract with coconut essence.
• Nige was very specific about using shredded coconut here, which you'll often see in American recipes and is much damper that dessiccated, but I neeeever see it, and you can make your own by faffing about with soaking the dessiccated stuff but I just used it as is and relative to the ease the macaroons don't suffer I think.

Makes 8

You will need

1 x baking sheet, lined

2 egg whites

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

100g caster sugar

30g rye flour

pinch salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

250g dessiccated coconut

• Preheat that oven to 170°c.
• Beat the egg whites until they start to froth before adding the cream of tartar and continuing to beat until the soft peak stage is reached.
• Continue to beat as you add the sugar, teaspoonful by teaspoonful until all is added and the egg whites are stiff and shiny.
• Now fold in the rest of the ingredients gently.
• Using 2 spoons, divide the mixture into 8 and make round clementine shape balls on your baking sheet out of each 8th.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes, until they have turned a few shades darker and begin to turn deep golden in parts.
• Leave to cool and firm up on the baking sheet for half an hour or so before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely...if you can wait that long.