KOKOSMAKRONEN (GERMAN COCONUT MACAROONS)

Steps:

• Prepare a water bath. The water should cook lightly.
• In a bowl mix egg whites and sugar. Place the bowl in the hot water bath and mix to dissolve sugar.
• Add coconut flakes and mix. Heat the coconut mixture to a temperature of 70 C (use a cooking thermometer to control temperature) stirring frequently.
• Remove from water bath, add flour and mix again. If you like you can now add the grated lemon peel to this mixture.
• Let cool to room temperature again.
• Preheat oven to 160°C.
• Place baking wafers on baking tray.
• Use an icing bag with large opening to place little dough dollops on the wafers. Leave a little rim, because while baking the cookies will flatten a bit.
• Bake for 10 minutes. Then open the oven a little and bake for another 5 minutes.
• The cookies should remain light in color and just a bit browned.
• If you like you can decorate the Kokosmakronen with icing chocolate.
• NOTE on chocolate decoration: preheat 2/3 of the chocolate in a water bath until fluid. Take out of water bath and add the rest of chocolate. Heat it again but just until chocolate is dissolved. Dip Kokosmakronen into the chocolate or drizzle over the cookies by using an icing bag.
• NOTE on wafers: If you don't have wafers at hand, you could spoon the dough directly on baking paper, but it might be tricky to remove the cookies from it later, because they stick to it.