You can't have too many cookie recipes

And I saved the best for last.
This might be my favorite cookie.  It's definitely in the Top 5.

AMBROSIA MACAROONS

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 c. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
2 tsp. grated orange peel (from 1 large orange)
3 eggs
24 oz. sweetened flaked coconut

(Sorry for the bag of flour shown in the picture.  There's none in this recipe.)

6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, for later.

First, go out to your backyard and get a nice big ripe orange.  What, no citrus at your house?  You can come over to my house.  Bring bags.  We have plenty.

Grate the zest off the orange.  A microplane grater does a great (grate?) job.


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line 3 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Using electric mixer, beat butter until smooth.  Add sugar and salt. Beat in grated orange peel then eggs, one at a time.  Mix in the coconut.  Drop batter onto cookie sheets by tablespoonfuls, spacing 1 1/2 inches apart.

Bake 25-30 minutes until lightly browned in spots.  Cool on sheets.

While you're waiting for them to bake, might as well have a healthy snack (the orange, now zest-free)





Now it's time for the chocolate.  While the cookies are cooling, melt the 6 oz. of bittersweet chocolate

Drizzle the melted chocolate over the cooled cookies.  If your kitchen is cool, leave them out and the chocolate will harden on its own.  Or you can pop them into the refrigerator for a few minutes.

Makes about 45 cookies.

These are maybe not the prettiest cookies ever.  But they are amazing tasting.  Something about the combination of orange zest, coconut and chocolate in one chewy package is really good.  And, by the way, if you're in the habit of eating the macaroons that come in a can, you MUST try these.  And kick that can habit for good!