Perhaps some people bring home a new boyfriend to meet their parents with no worries – Will they like him? What will they think of him? Will he like them? Will he enter the house and then run right back out the front door? Having a Sicilian father added another element to bringing a boyfriend home to meet the family.

How to avoid the awkward conversation of religion or politics? Coconut macaroons. That was the answer. I would lure my future husband into the kitchen to help me make Christmas cookies. It would give everyone an activity to keep busy. Had I only remembered to instruct Jared not to wear a white button-down shirt, my plan would have worked flawlessly. Jared stayed entertained in the kitchen scooping coconut macaroons onto parchment-lined cookie trays. The baking time allowed for small talk, without the normal Italian intensity that permeates even the most mundane of conversations. At the sound of the oven alarm, we were distracted and searching for oven mitts to remove the snowball-esque cookies with a hint of toasted coconut on the top.

From my perspective, the evening was a great success. Years later I heard my husband’s account of the coconut macaroon evening. He was apparently drenched in sweat, given his choice to wear a button-down shirt in a hot kitchen, and had a less than joyful experience scooping out 100 plus coconut macaroons. No wonder every Christmas my husband cringes at the sight of a cookie scooper in a bowl of coconut. With a smile, I remind him that he no longer has to impress anyone and that I am perfectly capable of scooping my own cookies.

Coconut Macaroons

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• Author: Christina Marks

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Description

Bringing a new boyfriend home to meet the family can be daunting, especially with a Sicilian father. To avoid awkward conversations, I turned to coconut macaroons. While my plan seemed to work, my husband’s account of the evening revealed a different story – one of sweat and discomfort in the hot kitchen. Despite the chaos, it remains a memorable Christmas tale.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 6 egg whites
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 Tbs maple syrup
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbs brandy
• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 14–ounce bags of sweetened coconut
• 1/2 tsp salt

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 330 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a metal bowl, combine egg whites and sugar.
3. Heat egg white and sugar over a double boiler, stirring frequently.
4. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the mixture becomes creamy in appearance and sugar is fully incorporated into the egg whites.
5. Remove from the heat and add in the maple syrup, vanilla extract, and brandy.
6. In a large bowl, combine the flour, coconut, and salt.
7. Mix the egg white mixture into the coconut mixture and stir to combine.
8. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
9. Scoop onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet or Silpat and bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

Notes

Yields 36 cookies