Christmas Macaroons

My gram was the baker of the family. Her father was a baker at a local bread bakery and she carried on the baking tradition. Her popcorn balls were famous around Christmas time, she would make and sell hundreds of them. She also made an array of Christmas cookies. My dad tells us stories of how she would start making cookies in the fall when the hickory nuts were ready for harvesting, and freeze them until Christmas time. I picture her stealthily moving around a tiny kitchen, cookies cooling on every available surface with flour and laughter in the air. She made sugar cutouts, date balls, peanut butter kiss cookies, but her favorites were coconut macaroons.

This recipe is from the back of the Baker's coconut bag except that I substituted vanilla instead of almond extract. I don't know what recipe my gram used for sure, but it was probably very similar to this. My dad said she put a cherry on top of them for Christmas. I love that!

Ingredients:
1 pkg Bakers Angel Flake Coconut (or 5 1/3 cups)
2/3 cup sugar
6 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
4 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla
1 large jar maraschino cherries

Separate the yokes from four eggs. I use a spoon to carefully remove the yokes.

Mix coconut, sugar, flour and salt.  Add egg whites and vanilla.

 Drop by tablespoons onto sheet. Add cherry on top. Be sure to push it down to secure it.

Bake at 325F for 20min.