Recipe: Coconut Macaroons, Caribbean Style

COCONUT MACAROONS, CARIBBEAN STYLE

4 egg whites
1 1/2 cups superfine or confectioners' sugar
3 cups unsweetened or shredded coconut
1 teaspoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon dark rum
Pinch of salt

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Use an electric mixer to beat the whites until foamy. Gradually add the sugar until the mixture is stiff. Fold in the remaining ingredients.

2. Use a pastry bag, a resealable plastic bag with a corner cut out, a spoon, or wet hands to form small mounds from tablespoons (or a little more) of the meringue mixture and place on a nonstick baking sheet or a baking sheet lined with wax paper. You can space them quite closely since they will not rise.

3. Bake until light brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the baking sheet and cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes before eating. These keep well in a covered container for up to 3 days.

Makes about 2 dozen
Excerpted from The Best Recipes In The World by Mark Bittman
Copyright 2005 by Mark Bittman. Excerpted by permission of Broadway, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.