When you think of a macaroon, you think of a high, rounded cookie. Think again. At the shop we flatten them to accommodate ice cream in the middle. We love the toasted coconut flavor of the cookies, or for a nostalgic twist, try almond extract instead of the vanilla. Paired with Chocolate Ice Cream (page 137), it’s practically an Almond Joy!

　　

Ingredients

Makes 2 dozen 2 1/2-inch cookies

　　One 14-ounce bag sweetened shredded coconut

　　1/3 cup sugar

　　3 large egg whites

　　1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

　　3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Butter two 12 x 17-inch rimmed baking sheets. Set aside.

　　

Step 2

Combine the coconut, sugar, egg whites, vanilla, and condensed milk in a large bowl and mix to incorporate.

　　

Step 3

Using a small ice-cream scooper, scoop the dough into 1-inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheets, leaving 3 inches between cookies. Flatten each cookie with the palm of your hand to create 2 1/2-inch cookies.

　　

Step 4

Bake for about 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking, until the edges of the cookies are a golden brown.

　　

Step 5

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes before transferring them with a spatula to wire cooling racks to fully cool.

　　Reprinted with permission from The Meatball Shop Cookbook by Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow with Lauren Deen. Copyright © 2011 by Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow; photographs copyright © 2011 by John Kernick. Published by Ballantine Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Daniel Holzman is executive chef at The Meatball Shop. He is an alum of Le Bernadin, San Francisco's Fifth Floor, and Aqua, among other highly acclaimed restaurants. He attended the Culinary Institute of America, where he received a full scholarship from the James Beard Foundation.Michael Chernow runs the front-of-house operations and the beverage program at The Meatball Shop. He has worked extensively in restaurants in New York and Los Angeles. He is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute, where he earned degrees in culinary arts and restaurant management. He and Holzman met as teenagers when they worked together as delivery boys at the New York vegan restaurant Candle Café. Needless to say, the vegan thing didn't really stick.Lauren Deen is the author of the New York Times bestselling Cook Yourself Thin series and Kitchen Playdates. She is an Emmy award—and James Beard award— winning television producer and director. She is currently executive producer of food(ography) on the Cooking Channel.