Why it works: Sugar and cream are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 9% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 43,450 recipes. Both carry 2,3-butanedione, which smells butter, sweet. The science ↓
Cocoanut Macaroons
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a hot oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Make the mixture
In a bowl, combine the grated coconut, powdered sugar, and cream until the mixture is just wet.
Add the beaten egg whites and mix thoroughly.
Shape and bake
Line a baking pan with buttered paper.
Drop the coconut mixture by the teaspoonful onto the prepared pan.
Bake in a hot oven at 400°F (200°C) until golden.
Sift powdered sugar over the macaroons while they are still warm.
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 + creamtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
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Sugar + eggtop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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Cream + eggtop 24% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together42,166 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Cream and egg barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 42,166 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Grated cocoanut
- Provides the bulk and chewy texture of the macaroons.
- Egg whites
- Add structure and lift, helping the mixture hold its shape while baking.
- Powdered sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps the macaroons brown as they bake.
- Cream
- Adds moisture and richness so the mixture binds together.
The step that matters
Mixing in the egg whites. Beaten egg whites hold air that gives the macaroons lift. Mixing thoroughly keeps the batter evenly bound, while overmixing can deflate the foam and make the macaroons dense.
“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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