Simple and easy for children to make, these macaroons were a favourite in my childhood.

Ingredients

• 1 cup desiccated coconut
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornflour
• 1 egg, beater
• 16 whole, or 8 halved, glace cherries

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Lightly grease 1-2 baking trays and dust with a light covering of cornflour. Alternatively, line with baking paper.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the coconut, sugar and cornflour and make a well in the cetnre.
3. Add the beaten egg and mix with a knife to form a moist mass.
4. Place heaped dessertspoons of mixture on the prepared trays. Top with a whole or halved glace cherry.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until lightly golden.
6. Transfer while warm to a cake rack to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Cooks Tips

- Classic macaroons are prepared from almonds, sugar and egg white, Amaretti, which have become increasingly popular, are small round Italian macaroons usually flavoured with bitter almonds or apricot kerbels. Once almonds became an expensive pantry item, coconut became an ideal ingredient to offer a variation.