Why it works: Sugar and egg are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 21% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 122,807 recipes. Both carry 2-nonenal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓
Cocoanut Macaroons
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a moderate oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Make and bake
In a bowl, rub together the shredded coconut, egg whites, and both sugars until well combined.
Drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake in the preheated oven until lightly golden.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Sugar + eggtop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Fine shredded cocoanut
- Provides the bulk and chewy texture that gives macaroons their body.
- Egg whites
- Bind the coconut together and help the macaroons hold their shape while baking.
- Granulated sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps the surface brown during baking.
- Powdered sugar
- Adds sweetness and a finer, softer sugar texture to the mixture.
The step that matters
Bake until lightly golden. Coconut and sugar brown quickly, so removing the macaroons once they are lightly golden keeps them moist inside and prevents bitter, dry edges.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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