Coconut Macaroons recipe

A few friends have asked for recipes which will provide sweet treats for the kids but don't cost a fortune to make-so this is a great one. Its from a 1940's cookbook but theres a similar recipe in the Nigella domestic Goddess book. Nigella is a bit of a snob about how you need to use shredded coconut not dessicated but this is just fooey and quite honestly who has got the time to source a coconut and then grate it, not I-I'm too busy plucking my eyebrows and listening to the Smiths. I made these for friends who came for tea on Sunday  and they wolfed the lot and they cost about £3 in ingredients so great for mums trying to feed kids (and adults) inexpensively.

You will need 2 large egg whites 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar, 100g caster sugar, 30g ground almonds, pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 250g desiccated coconut, oh and a baking tray

Pre-heat your oven to 170c/gas mark 3

Get your egg whites

Beat the eggs whites until they are frothy-don't go mad though just frothy not scrambled

Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks are formed

Add a teaspoon of sugar at a time

Whisk the mixture until the peaks can hold there shape

Chuck in the almonds, salt vanilla and coconut.

The mixture will be sticky but should be able to clump together

Form into golf ball size domes-you will get about eight out of this mixture

I am really unfussy about shape (as you can tell) but you can fiddle with them more to make them more aesthetically pleasing just don't make them too flat-stick in the oven for 20 minute's

Done-eat whilst still warm with a mug of builders tea-instantly lifts the spirits and gives you a good shot of sugar if the kiddywinks have kept you up all night. So these took 30 minutes from raw ingredients to plate and cost £3 and for a bit of childhood cake nostalgia they are fab