I recently went looking for a specific family-favourite, sweet-treat recipe I was sure was buried somewhere in my Mom’s ‘ family legacy’ collection. And literally rediscovered a small but treasured trove beloved of desserts and snacks I hadn’t had for decades!
And I remembered my first true culinary epiphany, literally as if I’d had it only yesterday. In fact, it was many decades ago, when I was ‘helping’ Mom in the kitchen. And she entrusted me with one of her own, personal ‘chef’s secrets’.
Too good to be be true?
There’s a famous ‘law’ coined by Science Fiction genius Arthur C. Clarke: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” But there’s a whole class of culinary techniques and hacks that breaks that commandment: “The more magical something seems, the more likely it is to be a classic ‘no-brainer’ waiting to be ‘discovered’.
So it is with Mom’s Coconut Clusters. Also known as Magic Chocolate Macaroons.
Positively soothing…
I often soothe myself in times of stress (especially in the kitchen) just by recalling the ‘Macaroons’ saga. You see… I assumed – before I was actually involved in making them one Yuletide – that they took hours to prepare. And had to be handled with great care to ensure they turned out successfully.
They were just so good, such a perfect combination of flavours and aromas and textures, such a glorious bite that… There must have been some actual magic involved!
The truth was… They were so simple, so easy, so foolproof that… Folks who didn’t know the secret(s) involved wanted to believe there was some actual magic involved!
So, give with the secret!
Okay… We’ve all made Rice Crispies Treats before. Some of us hundreds of times. But consider ap-plying the technique to coconut. Simply use shredded coconut in place of the cereal.
Let the basic treats cool to room temp. Then dip them in melted chocolate and place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper to cool completely and solidify…
Some ‘hidden’ secrets
Use the freshest, moistest shredded coconut you can get. It’ll be chewy and amazing! Rather than (possibly) crunchy, dry, flavourless and annoying… Makes a world of luxe difference to the finished treat!
Use whatever chocolate you love for coating. Milk Chocolate will be more likely to melt in your hand (from your skin warmth). On the other hand, pure dark chocolate will probably set up quite stiff and ‘snappy’, but less messy.
If you’re not just melting your favourite ‘nibbling’ chocolate bar to coat the treats, DO taste for sweetness and add a little sweetener of your choice to taste.
The darker the chocolate you use, the more likely it is to have a bitter edge. Add 1/2 tsp. genuine Vanilla Extract and stir in gently when melting the chocolate.
Consider poking your index finger into the top of each treat after forming it but before coating it, so you can drop in some sort of complementary garnish like a nut piece, a nugget of dried fruit some kind of ‘feature’ item like a mini marshmallow or fruit jelly.
My take
These incredibly indulgent, chewy, chocolatey treats can easily be adapted to suit any personal, seasonal or holiday theme. Because they’re so simple and basic, they really will complement just about any occasion, especially with suitable customization.
DO double or triple the recipe. Magic Chocolate Macaroons disappear fast. And they’re ‘good travel-lers’- ideal to send home with guests. Not to mention, you’ll want an ample supply for your own enjoyment over the week to come!
Note: I’m well aware this recipe breaks all the rules of healthy eating. But even I don’t make them every week. And they would ‘get tired’ pretty quick if I did. Perish the thought!
~ Maggie J.