Coconut Castles Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cream the shortening and brown sugar (I often cut the sugar down by 20% or so). Add salt, vanilla and the beaten eggs.
• Crush the cornflakes. I always do this by measuring out twice as much uncrushed Corn Flakes and crushing them down to the correct amount. For this large recipe, I have two big four cup measures full of uncrushed Corn Flakes, and then crush them by hand down to two cups each.
• (You can make this recipe gluten free by using gluten free corn flakes -- they take a little more force to crush but make the cookies even crunchier and cut down on the sugar).
• Add cornflakes, coconut and nuts to the egg and shortening mixture and mix well.
• Measure by tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets, either well-greased or, better yet, covered with baking parchment.
• Cook until golden brown, about 10 to 14 minutes, depending on your oven.
• Let the cookies cool on the pan until they firm up.

Steps:

• Whisk together the egg whites and caster sugar in a large bowl for 2-3 mins until light and frothy, and the sugar has dissolved. Add the coconut, a pinch of salt and the vanilla, then stir until combined. Leave to stand for 10 mins.
• Heat the oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3½. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Scoop teaspoonfuls of the mixture and roll into compact balls, then arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 mins until golden.
• Leave on the baking sheet to cool completely. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water, or in short 20-second bursts in the microwave. Tip the melted chocolate into a small bowl, then dip the bottom of each cooled macaroon into the chocolate and wipe off any excess. Arrange on a sheet of baking parchment, chocolate-side up, then put in the fridge for 20 mins, or until set. You can use any remaining melted chocolate to pipe in zigzags over the top, if you like, then leave to set.