Coquito Macaroons
Coquito, a coconut-based cocktail from Puerto Rico that’s similar to eggnog, takes hours to prepare. Alternatively, these coquito macaroons only require 15 minutes of active prep and one mixing bowl to come together—call it a holiday miracle, amigas.
Macaroons are typically bound with egg whites, but to drive the coquito vibe home, we substituted sweetened condensed milk. A generous dose of rum extract and warm spices honor the drink’s boozy, wintry flavor. Best of all, you’ll only need six ingredients to pull them off, and they’re naturally gluten-free, so your wheat-averse tías can finally get in on the cookie swap.
They’ll keep for up to four days in an airtight container. To get the macaroons warm and crisp again, toast them in the oven at 300°F for 5 to 10 minutes, checking them frequently to ensure they don’t burn. Sift confectioners’ sugar atop the cookies before serving for a snowy finishing touch that even Scrooge would appreciate.
328 calories
24g fat
26g carbs
5g protein
20g sugars
14 ounces sweetened coconut flakes
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons rum extract
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
Confectioners’ sugar, to garnish (optional)
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick aluminum foil.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the coconut, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt until the coconut is evenly coated.
3. Add the vanilla extract, rum extract and sweetened condensed milk to the coconut mixture and fold until evenly wet and combined.
4. Wet your hands with water and mold the macaroons, using two generous tablespoons of the mixture for each. Shape them to have rounded points for a Christmas tree-like look, or mold them into mounds. Place the macaroons on the prepared baking sheet and bake until golden brown on the outside, 25 to 30 minutes, turning the baking sheet halfway through baking for even browning.
5. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and cool the macaroons for 10 minutes. Transfer the macaroons to a cooling rack and cool for 10 minutes more. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, if desired, and serve.
