The original macaroon: craggy, lumpy and coconutty

When the trend for french patisserie-style macaroons appeared a few years ago, I was very confused. These delicate little biscuits bear absolutely no resemblance to the macaroons I remembered from childhood: craggy lumps of super sweet goo covered in desiccated coconut, with a drizzle of chocolate and a glacé cherry. And 1970s macaroons are incredibly easy to make, which judging by all the classes on how to make the new-fangled version, makes them the polar opposite of each other.

I used a recipe from my 1977 St Michael All Colour Cookbook, which describes coconut macaroons as "soft and sugary, and children adore them". Kids also love making them. The internet offered some alternatives using condensed milk instead of eggs and sugar, but I can't be trusted near an open can of condensed milk (it's so more-ish!) so I went with the egg version. 

Ingredients 

(Makes 8)

1 egg

50g caster sugar

175g desiccated coconut

Melted chocolate and glacé cherries to serve

Method

1. Beat the egg and sugar together with a fork, then stir in the coconut.

2. With wet hands, squidge a golf ball sized lump of mix into a tight ball and place on a greased baking tray. Repeat with the rest of the mixture, then add half a glacé cherry to each.

3. Bake at 180C for 15-20 minutes until lightly golden.

4. When cooled, drizzle each macaroon with a little melted chocolate.

Enjoy with a cup of tea while you book your next dental check up...