Alright, hey babes!

This week I’ve been in New Jersey visiting my family for Mother’s Day, so it has taken me a bit longer than I had hoped to get this post together. Every time I’ve sat down on the pull-out couch I’m sleeping on to work on it, I’m suddenly interrupted by a spat between my brother and mom over him planning to drink a BORG—I have learned that this stands for Black Out Rage Gallon—at a party on Mother’s Day Eve, or my sister storming in to gossip about [redacted], or the urge to take a hot bath due to a twinge of back pain from said pull-out couch. 

Over the years, much has changed about going home. The interior is different. My relationship with my parents has shifted; it now feels closer to old friends than parent/child. I even question whether or not to still call it “home”, as I have built another somewhere else. In fact, the only thing that has stayed consistent through the years is that when I return, I am the designated cook, happily spending most of my time in our tiny, yellow kitchen working on a new recipe.

My parents, on the other hand, have always been “buy dessert” people or “three-ingredient recipe” people. Though quick and easy, I fondly remember crimping frozen pie dough, mixing orange juice into boxed cake mix, or trying to free my hands from a blob of melty marshmallow and cereal. Of all the simple treats we made, my mom’s favorite is the coconut macaroon; so in honor of her I decided to develop one while visiting. The basic version is delicious, but I wanted to tie it to her even further—incorporate flavors that embody her aura.

My mother is a woman who believes deeply in the healing power of natural elements. She is constantly raving about the techniques she uses, urging me to implement them in order to cleanse my body and mind. Every time I speak to her it’s something different. Grounding, the act of binding the electrical impulses of the nervous system to the earth by walking barefoot in the grass; tapping, a technique to relieve stress and anxiety by repeatedly pressing specific pressure points on the body; essential oil diffusion, as “the nose is the gateway to internal healing.” 

She is someone who has a natural remedy for everything—leaping at the chance to prepare a concoction to cure whatever ailment you may be suffering from. Often these potions come in the form of a scalding hot tea. I remember coming home from high school with a throbbing headache and immediately being served a peppermint and rosemary infusion, being told to inhale the steam through my nose until it cooled to a drinkable temperature. My mother served us ginger and turmeric tea the moment we had stomach trouble, or chamomile if she heard us stirring after a late night of studying. In thinking about this special way of healing, I thought what better than to infuse these macaroons with than some of my mother’s favorite teas. 

These cookies are super customizable. You can use any type of tea and chocolate that you like. Regardless of what you pick, the tea will add a bitterness, floralness, fruitiness, or spice that will cut straight through the sweetness of the macaroon. They also have a crisp outer shell and ooey-gooey middle (much like my mother), which makes them an absolute textural delight. 

Anyway, this one goes out to my mom. Thanks for making me the person I am, and always loving and supporting me even though I can be “evil,”  a “douchebag,” a “mega-bitch,” and a “major pain-in-the-ass” (at least I’m not planning on drinking a BORG anytime soon). Love you, girlie!

xx,
Ian

Tea Infused Coconut Macaroons

Yield: 18 macaroons

Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 14 ounce can (397g) of sweetened condensed milk
• 2 tbsp (12g) looseleaf tea or matcha powder
• 14 ounce bag (397g) of shredded sweetened coconut
• 1 tsp (4g) vanilla
• 1/2 tsp (2g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt*
• 1 large (36g) egg white
• 6 oz (170g) chopped chocolate

Directions:

1. Crush your tea: Using a mortar and pestle, or a plastic bag and rolling pin crush the tea leaves until they are powdery*
2. Infuse your condensed milk: In a double boiler, or by placing a glass bowl over a small pot of boiling water combine the tea leaves and sweetened condensed milk. Let the tea infuse over the heat for 5 minutes, or until it smells fragrant and the tea’s color has been imparted onto the milk. Set aside and let cool down for at least 10 minutes.
3. Preheat your oven and prepare your pans: Preheat your oven to 325° and place your oven racks in the upper middle and lower middle slots. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Make your macaroon base: In a large bowl combine the shredded coconut and infused milk and fold until it is saturated.
5. Whip your egg white, and combine: In the bowl of your stand mixer, or in a separate bowl using a hand mixer, beat the egg white on medium speed it is lightly foamy. Add in the vanilla and salt and beat on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold your egg white lightly into the coconut mixture until everything is combined and no streaks of egg white remain.
6. Scoop and bake: Using a 1.35 ounce (#24) cookie scoop** or weighing out 45g balls, portion out the macaroons onto your prepared baking sheet, placing 9 on each, 2 inches apart. Bake for 20-23 minutes, swapping the two pans halfway through, until darkly golden on top, and lightly golden on the sides. Remove from oven and let cool.
7. Dip, set, and enjoy: While the cookies cool, melt your chocolate in a double boiler or in a glass bowl over a small pot of boiling water. When the cookies are cool, dip the bottoms into the chocolate, letting the excess drip off back into the bowl. Once all the cookies are dipped, drizzle the excess chocolate over the tops. Let the chocolate set and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Notes:

*If you’re using any other type or brand of salt (i.e. Morton, or sea salt), I suggest scaling back to 1/4 tsp.
**This step is optional, but it makes the macaroons more texturally pleasing.
***In a pinch you can also portion out 3 tablespoons worth into balls.

I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.