Banana Bliss

I often buy lots of bananas with the idea that some of them will get too ripe for my daily peanut butter and banana toasted sandwiches. My version of ripe may not be everyone else's. I declare them "too ripe" as soon as I can smell them from 3 feet away, with slight brown spots. For some, this is the sign of a nearly perfect banana. I just can't take the "squish" of a well-ripened banana. So, at this point, I freeze them (sans peels, in a ziploc with most of the air squeezed out) to use at a later date, if I just can't turn the oven on at that moment, which means I must be pretty busy.

When I was pregnant with my daughter, besides the above PB&B sandwich, one of my cravings was a good, fruit filled smoothie - not the sherbet, wheat grass, protein powdered smoothie offered at a shop, but one truly based on fruit. I'd use frozen bananas, strawberries, blueberries, mangoes, and any other fruit on hand. Again, as the fresh fruit headed towards the overripe stage, I'd wash them, spread them out on a pan, freeze, and keep in a ziploc in the freezer. I'd also add yogurt to my smoothie and some juice, or even milk, to up the calcium intake. Not too sweet, but oh-so-satisfying.

My favorite use, though, for ripe bananas is Banana Bread. I've been faithful to the same recipe for years, always hoping the result would be different than the perfect on the top, overdone on the bottom, loaf I got every time. I'd tried Mark Bittman's recipe from How to Cook Everything (usually my main man in the kitchen), but the loaf was too bread-y, not banana-y enough for my taste. So, I pulled out the well-used copy of The New York Times Cookbook, by Craig Claiborne, my parents were done with and gave to me a few years ago (I have the 1961 version). The recipe is nearly the same as my old, not-so-faithful recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook that I've been trying to make work all these years. The big difference, I think, is the order in which the ingredients are put together. And, of course, I had to add something else. Coconut being my main obsession, that's what I added.

Banana Bread with Toasted Coconut
1 3/4 c. Flour                      2/3 c. sugar
2 tsp Baking Powder          2 large eggs
1/4 tsp baking soda            3 mashed ripe bananas (I like more than a cup's worth)
1/2 tsp salt                         2 tsp. almond extract
1/3 c. salted butter             1 c. coconut flakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter loaf pan, but not all the way up the sides (this will keep high edges from forming), and set aside.
In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a non-stick pan, lightly toast the coconut (do not brown). Immediately pour the coconut onto a plate and cool in the fridge.

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat the eggs together, then add to the butter and sugar. Really let these mix together well. Add almond extract. Add the flour mixture alternately with the mashed bananas, mixing well after each addition, until smooth. Mix in 3/4 of the coconut flakes. Pour into prepared loaf pan and top with remaining coconut flakes.

Bake for 1 hour, then check for doneness - insert a toothpick or thin knife blade in the center. It should come out clean. I usually pull the loaf out as soon as there is very little moisture on the blade, since I don't like my banana bread dry. Allow to cool in the pan for a few minutes, then take the loaf out of the pan and cool on a rack.

At this point, I can't wait for the bread to cool completely, and I slice off a piece and slather it with butter. Quality control, at it's best. Store the bread wrapped tight in plastic, on the counter for a couple of days. Or, in addition to the plastic wrap, put the loaf in a ziploc bag, and freeze. I also like to toast a slice of the banana bread in my toaster oven (a plunger-style toaster doesn't work, since the bread can break apart too easily) for an afternoon snack with my 3 o'clock cup of tea. And, it's perfect for breakfast. Okay, I could eat a slice an hour and not get tired of it. There's never enough to share, so, I'm sorry, sweet co-workers, I will not be bringing any banana bread in for you today. You'll just have to bake your own loaf.

Gigantic Marshmallows

I went shopping today at my friendly neighborhood grocery store and saw something I would have absolutely flipped over as a kid. Giant marshmallows. I mean, Super Gigante Malvavivos, from Mazapan de la Rosa in Jalisco, Mexico. They each weigh a full ounce and come in vanilla and strawberry, all artificially flavored, of course (I crossed my fingers for all-natural, but, alas, no such luck). I cracked up when I saw them and quickly tossed them in my cart, knowing what a kick my kids would get out of them. In the picture below, I've included a bottle of extract to show how huge they are.

They were nearly ransacked before dinner. I had to convince the kids that spaghetti and meatballs was better to eat before eating the super gigante malvavivos (a tough argument). Dinner was quickly dispatched and a few marshmallows devoured. Then, my husband had a brilliant idea, since I had also brought home a few bags of coconut (no, the macaroon madness hasn't ended). Chocolate dipped giant marshmallows rolled in toasted coconut. Did I marry well, or what?

So, I toasted some coconut in a pan. Watch the coconut while it's toasting - it browns very quickly. I held the pan over the flame, not directly on the stove, and kept the coconut moving. Immediately dump the coconut in a bowl to keep it from over-browning. Then, I melted chocolate chips in a metal bowl over a simmering pan of water. When the chocolate is smooth, turn off the heat under the water. Be very careful not to splash any water into the melted chocolate - it will "seize" and be unusable. You won't even be able to re-melt it. I like to keep the bowl over the warm water to keep it pliable.

Prepare a pan with parchment paper. Seriously, get some parchment paper if you don't have any and you won't ever have to spray, butter, or flour a pan again. Wax paper works, too. 

Dip the  bottom 1/2 of the marshmallows (you can use normal size if you can't find the giant ones - it just won't be as fun) in the chocolate, gently swipe the bottom against the edge of the chocolate bowl and dip into the bowl of coconut, pushing some up the sides of the marshmallow. Set this on the parchment and allow to set. If your kitchen is on the warm side, put them in the fridge for a little while. You can also eat them while the chocolate is warm and the marshmallow is a little gooey. I won't judge you. I promise.

Since I had extra chocolate, I dipped a couple marshmallows in the chocolate and didn't roll them in the coconut. Then, I threw a big handful of regular, non-toasted coconut in the remaining chocolate and made little coconut nests. No need to waste any chocolate. As a matter of fact, I believe there is an international law prohibiting such an act. The chocolate police are watching.

The Final Words on Macaroon Madness

I think it's time for my macaroon obsession to come to an end. I'll still make them (they're just so easy!), but I don't want to seem like a one-ingredient obsessed baker. So, in this entry, the last word on macaroons (for now), I'll share my experiment with fresh coconut and some other ideas to add to my original recipe (see blog #2).

My daughter and I passed a fresh coconut at the grocery store a few weeks ago. Since I was in the middle of my madness (well, the coconut one), I thought it would be fun to see how the macaroons would taste with fresh coconut.

Cracking the giant nut (actually, it's a seed, but once the husk on the outside is gone, which it always is at the grocery store, it's no longer productive) is a tough task. I used a hammer and a screwdriver to make a couple of holes in the "eyes", poured out the coconut milk inside, and then had to take it outside to crack against the driveway. I'm still hoping the neighbor hasn't called child protection, since it looked like a baby's head in a dish towel. Once the coconut was in pieces, I discarded the tough shell and grated the raw coconut meat. I stored it in the freezer until I was ready to use it. I happened to be making rice pudding, with leftover rice from our Chinese take-out dinner, and used the coconut milk in place of two-thirds of the regular milk. I like to cook my rice pudding by adding the liquid in small amounts, like risotto until it's very creamy. I even tossed in a few shreds of coconut. Very tasty!

In an effort to do the recipe development myself, I didn't turn to the web where there are several recipes, I'm sure. I decided to modify the one I've been using all along. My first run at the recipe produced spongy macaroons (which my husband loved, but didn't satisfy me), so I reduced the egg whites and added a little more flour.

Fresh Coconut Macaroons

5 1/3 cups fresh, grated coconut

2/3 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/4 tsp. salt

3 egg whites
1 tsp. almond extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine the first 4 ingredients, then add the egg whites and almond extract. Scoop with a small ice cream scoop or spoon onto a parchment covered baking sheet. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until golden brown.

I found these macaroons to be a little more nutty than the ones made with sweetened shredded coconut in the bag. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Back to the original recipe and my can't-leave-a-good-recipe-alone twists:

Chocolate Macaroons

3 tbsp cocoa powder (the good stuff, please, ie. Scharffen Berger)
1 tsp orange flower or rose flower water

I happened to be out of good cocoa when I made this recipe. But, I had something even better - Persian Cocoa from Golden Fig. It's a lovely blend of French cocoa powder, rose powder, cardamom, and orange powder. Oh my, what a macaroon! I certainly did the food dance after eating this one. You can buy the Persian Cocoa at Golden Fig, 790 Grand Ave., St. Paul, MN or online at http://www.goldenfig.com/. Or, try Golden Fig's Northern Woods Cocoa with cinnamon and maple powder. Add a pinch of cayenne for a little Mayan heat.

Pina Colada Macaroons

1/2 cup diced dried pineapple
1 tsp. orange flower water or, if you can find it, pineapple extract

This was another hit in the family. For a variation, and because one of the things I like most about coconut macaroons is the chewy edges, I flattened out the macaroon to around 1/2" before baking (see the macaroon on the left in the photo). If you're like me and are an edge nibbler, this is the ultimate way to make the macaroons.


Cherry Chocolate Macaroons


1/2 cup coarsely chopped dried cherries
1/3 cup dark or semi-sweet small chocolate chips (or roughly chop up the regular size)
1 tsp almond extract

I haven't made this recipe yet, but it sounds so very tasty to me.


Curried Macaroons


1 tsp sweet curry (again, I love the blend from Golden Fig)
1/2 cup chopped dried mangoes
1 tsp orange flower water

Another untested recipe, but one would think coconut and curry would be a match made in Kashmir.


One thing I've noticed on my macaroon journey is how important it is to judge the doneness (is that a word?) by the eye. There have been times when it took an extra 15-20 minutes to get the golden brown I wanted. It's probably my uncalibrated oven, but I'm used to the watch-and-see game with whatever I bake. I also put a few unbaked coconut macaroons in the freezer to bake at a later date. I'll let you know how those come out. Wouldn't that be nice to be able to bake off a few at a time? Then, you can have fresh macaroons anytime you crave them. Midnight snack, anyone?


I'd love to hear your suggestions for other additions to coconut macaroons. I'm sure if I had 50 bags of coconut, I could come up with 50 variations on the recipe. Or, just leave me on a desert island full of coconuts. I'll need my oven, please. And, a swanky camper with indoor plumbing. And, loads of tea and milk. Maybe I'd tire of coconut macaroons after a year or so, but probably not.

Macaroon Madness

I have become obsessed with Coconut Macaroons these days. My family seems to be okay with this, since they're eating every last one that I make (if I don't eat them all first), but they may start asking for good, old-fashioned chocolate chip cookies one of these days. Well, I don't always leave that recipe alone, either, but that's for another posting.

It all started with a rather innocent question from my stepdaughter about how to make macaroons. Macaroons have always been a favorite of mine. I remember getting them from the fancier grocery store in town when I was a kid, as a special treat. I loved the chewy interior and crunchy exterior. I've tried to make them with sweetened condensed milk, but that just wasn't the texture I was looking for. (I have to say, I could eat an entire can of sweetened condensed milk with a spoon, but it didn't do it for me in the macaroon.)

I decided to try the recipe on the back of the Baker's Coconut bag. Now, Baker's has a few extra ingredients that I'm not crazy about adding to the food I feed my family (propylene glycol and sodium metabisulfate - for freshness and color), but I'm not always adamant about that. Heck, we know all the ingredients in Twinkies, but I'm not opposed to downing a few of them every once in a while. I'll be heading over to my local co-op sometime soon, since I'm sure they have a very good bag of coconut that I can use instead. I've even tried using freshly grated coconut, but more on that later.

The Baker's recipe was pretty much everything I was looking for, with a few tweaks, here and there. Here is my modified version of their recipe:

Coconut Macaroons

5 1/3 cups flaked coconut (14 oz.)

2/3 cups granulated sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp. salt

4 egg whites (reserve the yolks for custard, lemon curd, or some other amazing treat)

1 tsp. almond extract

Combine the coconut, sugar, flour and salt in a bowl. Stir in the egg whites and almond extract until well mixed. Using a small ice cream scoop, or a spoon, drop onto a parchment covered pan (or, grease and flour the pan - don't use tin foil alone, since they will stick).

Bake at 325 F for 20 minutes, or until the edges are a nice toasty, golden brown. I pick them up (asbestos fingertips help) and check the bottoms for that golden brown color. Makes around 28 macaroons.

I love to serve the macaroons slightly warm. Okay, "serve" sounds pretty fancy. We all stand around the stove, staring at the macaroons, until I declare them cool enough to eat. Then, we devour them. The few left over I store in a container. If I hide them from the little foodies in the house, I might even still have a yummy treat to myself for up to 4 weeks. They can even be frozen. But, these morsels are easy to make when the mood strikes - which seems to be about once a week around here.

Next posting, I'll talk about my never-ending need to not leave well enough alone. The tea pot is boiling, and it's time for another cup of tea.