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| Chocolate Orange Macaroons | |
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| When I tell people I own Sweet Melissa's, they often say "Oh! I love your macaroons!" You want an easy recipe? These are easy. Really easy | |
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| Makes 2 dozen cookies | |
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| 6 ounces best-quality solid semisweet (58%) chocolate | |
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| One 14-oz. bag sweetened coconut | |
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| Zest of 1 orange | |
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| 1 cup sugar | |
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| 3 large egg whites | |
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| Before You Start | |
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| Position a rack in the center of your oven. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil | |
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| Using a serrated bread knife, finely chop the chocolate. Set aside | |
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| In a large bowl, combine the coconut and zest, and rub together with your hands. (This will break up the coconut and release the orange oils.) | |
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| Stir in the sugar and chocolate to the coconut and mix to combine. Add the egg whites. Use your hands to mix until everything is coated and the egg whites are distributed evenly | |
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| Using a 1-oz cookie scoop, firmly pack the dough into the scoop and unmold about 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely | |
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| The cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze well wrapped in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil for up to 3 weeks. Do not unwrap before defrosting | |
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| PRO TIP: | |
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| If you want to, make the cookie base up to 1 week ahead! Just keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator and bake the cookies when you have time. (These just keep getting easier.) | |
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| Alternative: Lemon Coconut Macaroons | |
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| Omit the chocolate and the orange zest. Add the zest and juice of 1 lemon to the coconut and use only 2 egg whites. The recipes makes slightly fewer cookies, about 20 altogether | |
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| Sour Cherry Pie with Pistachio Crumble | |
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| My talented friend Andrea Lekberg created this pie during her tenure as pastry chef at Sweet Melissa's. Lucky for us! It is my favorite pie, and one of the best-selling pies in the shops | |
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| For the Piecrust | |
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| 1/2 recipe Flaky Pie Dough (page 137) | |
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| For the Pistachio Crumble | |
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| 1/2 cup all-purpose flour | |
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| 2/3 cup whole oats, ground to a flour in a food processor (yielding � cup oat flour) | |
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| 1/2 cup sugar | |
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| 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon | |
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| 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt | |
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| 3/4 cup shelled unsalted whole pistachios, coarsely ground in a food processor or chopping medium fine by hand | |
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| 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled | |
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| For the Sour Cherry Filling | |
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| 3/4 cup sugar | |
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| 3 tablespoons cornstarch | |
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| 1/4 teaspoon kosher sale | |
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| 2 1/4 pounds fresh sour cherries, pitted, or 2 pounds frozen sour cherries, partially thawed | |
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| To Prepare the Piecrust | |
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| Roll out the pie dough into a round 14 inches wide and 1/4 thick. Gently fit into a 10-inch pie plate. Fold the edges under and crimp. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes | |
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| To Make the Pistachio Crumble | |
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| In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, oat flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and pistachios | |
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| Stir in the melted butter and mix gently to combine | |
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| Before You Make the Filling | |
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| Place a rack in the bottom third of your oven. Preheat the oven to 350�F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil | |
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| To Make the Cherry Filling | |
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| In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt | |
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| In a medium bowl, place the cherries and sprinkle the flour mixture over the top; mix gently to combine. (If you are using fresh cherries, the natural sweetness can vary. Taste the mixture to see if you need more sugar than is called for.) | |
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| Pout the cherries into the unbaked pie shell | |
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| To Complete the Pie | |
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| Sprinkle the pistachio crumble evenly over the top of the cherries | |
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| Place the pie plate on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until the juices are bubbling and thick. Remove to a rack to cool to room temperature before serving | |
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| Fruit pies are best eaten the day they are baked | |