Shakalama (Egyptian Coconut Macaroons Recipe)
Shakalama, the Egyptian coconut macaroons—sticky, slightly crisp on the outside, and soft, chewy inside, often adorned with a bright red cherry in the center for a pop of color and sweetness.
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Ingredients
- 2 large eggs at room temperature , Use 3 eggs if you plan on piping the cookie batter.
- ½ cup granulated white sugar or super fine
- ½ teaspoon fine salt , preferably Himalayan
- 1 teaspoon vanilla, or 1 teaspoon of vanilla powder
- 2 cups desiccated coconut
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder , optional, see notes
- Cherries glacé, optional
Glaze
- ¼ cup white honey
Instructions
- Beat the eggs, vanilla, honey and sugar for 8-10 minutes or until it triples in size and becomes airy, fluffy and foamy.
- Fold in gradually the coconut and flour in a circular motion, using a spatula. Avoid deflating the airy eggs-sugar mixture.
- Use a cookie scoop to shape equally-sized cookies and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a mini tart mold. Top each cookie with a segment of a cherry glacé.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180 ° for 15 minutes, or until it is golden brown.
- Warm up the honey in the microwave for 1 minute or on low-medium heat for a 2-3 minute until it becomes runny to glaze the shakalama.
- Brush the cookies with the glaze. Transfer them to a metal rack, let them come to room temperature.
- Store them in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for 4 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
- Serve Shakalma as a dessert or snack with tea or coffee.
Nermine's Notes
- You can make this recipe using 2 eggs, in case you shape the cookie by hand, yet add one extra egg if you want to use a piping bag to shape the cookies.
- All the ingredients should be at room temperature to end up with a maleable cookie batter that you can shape the way you want.
- Baking powder is optional in this recipe. It will help the cookie puff better but you can perfectly make shakalama without it, if you prefer it dense.