Coconut Macaroons II

"I've found the PERFECT combination for this recipe. I use 2 (14 oz) bags of Baker's brand coconut then the sweetened condensed milk and the extracts. I chill my mixture for two hours so it's easier ..." See moreto work with. I roll a teaspoon of the mixture between my palms lightly to form a ball and drop on the cookie sheets. I bake them for 12 min at 325 degrees. They're easier to remove from the tray if you let them set-up on the tray for 2 min. after removing from the oven. I allow them to cool on wax paper, then dip the bottoms in melted semi-sweet chocolate and put on a wax paper lined cookie sheet in the frige. They are incredible and look so pretty with my holiday cookies!"

"I hope those of you that had a bad first experience will try again. I have used this recipe for my boyfriend and his father for several years and they really love them. Even though I am not a macaroo..." See moren fan, they are really good. There are a few suggestions I have to make them easier for those that complained they are too gooey. 1 - use parchment instead of foil... still grease it! 2 - use an ice cream scoop to dish the coconut mixture onto pan and press hard to firmly pack it. 3 - reduce oven temp by about 25 degrees to cook them slower... this prevents them from spreading out all over the pan. You know they are done when the edges get nice and brown. My boyfriend likes them even more done so that they almost look like coffee on the edges. If I ever lose the recipe, I always come back to search for this exact one. For special occasions, I even add food coloring to the condensed milk before stirring into the coconut!"

"I noticed that it didn't say "firmly packed" under the coconut amount. I have found that when I am measuring coconut, I press it down in the measuring cup - that seems to give you a real amount and m..." See moreakes it less messy. Also, you MUST lightly coat the sheet with non stick cooking spray. Those two things really add to it. You can also add some additional flour to thicken up the batter."