Yesterday I mentioned that my Seder will be a small gathering because none of the aunts, uncles and cousins are coming this year. So now there’s a question about the macaroons. Although I do all the cooking for the Seder, I usually don’t make macaroons for that meal (I do make some during the week). I usually count on someone else to bring some. 

I really really don’t like canned macaroons, so I won’t buy them. Some of the packaged ones are okay. But not like fresh, bakery-made or homemade ones. My grandmother and mother never served macaroons. We always had my aunt Roz’s famous orange-flavored spongecake at our Seder. But I LOVE macaroons. Good ones. Especially chocolate covered coconut ones.

Guess I’ll actually have to make some this year.

Fortunately I have an incredibly easy recipe. Here it is:

Incredibly Easy Macaroons

• 2 cups packaged, shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup sugar
• pinch of salt
• 3 large egg whites
• garnish: chopped dried fruit, chocolate chips, crystallized ginger, whole almonds, etc.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. In a bowl, toss the coconut, sugar and salt together. Add the egg whites and mix the ingredients until a uniform “dough” has formed. Take heaping teaspoons of dough and shape them into about 20 balls. Place the balls on the cookie sheet a piece of put a garnish on top of each ball. Bake for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then remove to a cake rack to cool completely.

Makes about 20

If you like firmer macaroons, mix 1/4 cup matzo cake meal into the dough.

To make them chocolate covered: melt some semisweet chocolate with vegetable shortening (about one tablespoon for every 6 ounces of chocolate). Use this as a dip to cover the baked macaroons.