Coconut and Lime Macaroons — Macarons noix de coco et citron vert

March 21, 2010

It’s been such an amazingly sunny and mild weekend that on Saturday, despite the zillions of things we had planned to do, we decided to take Lulu to the beach for a picnic improvised at the last minute. We wanted to catch the moment. Be in the moment. Right after breakfast, we packed sun lotion, a few blankets, hats and sunglasses–and food and drinks. In our picnic basket, there were mandarins, yogurts, muffins and coconut and lime macaroons.

coconut lime macaroon gluten free

picnic beach coconut lime macaroon gluten free

The day was glorious. This time of year is special at the beach. It’s really one of my favorites. Because it’s lightly populated, with only the occasional families and couples, joggers, dogs and horses. And because the sun is still soft and gentle.

coconut lime macaroon gluten free

It’s hard to describe the feeling with words, but seeing our little girl take still hesitant steps at the beach filled us with a tremendous joy. We showed her the ocean. She pointed at dogs running after a ball; she touched the sand, feeling the sea breeze and wind brush her delicate skin. She blabbered words that I like to imagine in French, and smiled whenever she was taking a few more steps. And when she looked tired and it was time for a snack, we sat down and enjoyed our fruit, yogurt and sweet treats. Lulu, more particularly, was pretty skilled at devouring her food. Rapidly. Asking for more.

It’s sweet to watch.

coconut lime macaroon gluten free

coconut lime macaroon gluten free

coconut lime macaroon gluten free

I make macaroons whenever I have egg whites left. Like my grandmother used to, when she was not making meringues instead. In her dining room, she kept a large metallic box with dark blue letters engraved on it. It was always filled with meringues and macaroons. For the visitors regularly stopping at their house. And her many grandchildren. Including me!

These days, since I bake petits pots de crème every week–Lulu likes them as much as I used to at her age–I always have a lot of egg whites that need to find a home. So that’s when baking macaroons comes in handy.

I like to add lime in mine, and enjoy them with tea, or yogurt and custard-based desserts. They are light and quick to prepare.

“Addictive,” my mother-in-law once said during one of her visits.

Like a picnic at the beach to celebrate the start of spring.

That was such a lucky day!

coconut lime macaroons

Coconut and Lime Macaroons
Coconut and Lime Macaroons

(For 24 macaroons)

You need:

  • 4 large egg whites
  • 1/2 cup blond cane sugar
  • 2 cups unsweetened grated coconut
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • Zest of 1 large organic lime, finely grated

Steps:

  • In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix until homogeneous; set aside.
  • Preheat the oven at 350 F. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Place a small amount of coconut batter on the baking sheet and shape the macaroons with the tip of your fingers. Repeat until you run out of batter.
  • Bake the macaroons for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges start to color. Remove and let cool completely on a rack. The macaroons keep for a week in an air-tight container.
Le coin français
Macarons à la noix de coco et au citron vert

(Pour 24 macarons)

Ingrédients :

  • 4 gros blancs d’oeuf
  • 100 g de sucre de canne blond
  • 160 g de noix de coco râpée non sucrée
  • Pincée de sel de mer
  • Zeste d’un gros citron vert, finement râpé

Etapes :

  • Dans une jatte, mélangez bien tous les ingrédients; mettez de côté.
  • Préchauffez le four à 180 C et couvrez une plaque à pâtisserie avec du papier sulfurisé.
  • Faites de petits tas de pâte sur la plaque et donnez forme aux macarons avec le bout de vos doigts. Répétez jusqu’à épuisement des ingrédients.
  • Cuisez les macarons pendant 12 à 15 minutes, ou jusqu’à ce que les bords commencent à colorer. Faites complètement refroidir sur une grille. Les macarons se conservent pendant une semaine dans une boîte hermétique.
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Tagged as: Dessert , French Inspired , Gluten Free , Life and Us
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58 Comments »

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  1. How wonderful! We went to the beach yesterday too. It was beautiful and so is this post about your precious baby girl.

    Comment by El — On March, 21st, 2010 at 9:06 pm

  2. Superbe post Béa !
    La saveur du coco m’a également inspiré dernièrement… mais sous forme de pain.

    Comment by vanille — On March, 21st, 2010 at 9:43 pm

  3. Such a beautiful post and you are wise to recognise that even when we are extremely busy, we have to take time out to enjoy our children and play.

    Comment by Karen — On March, 21st, 2010 at 9:45 pm

  4. These look so wonderful. Really beautiful photos.

    Comment by Portuguese Kitchen — On March, 21st, 2010 at 10:43 pm

  5. (lulu is walking?!? how did that happen?) i love the gorgeous beach photos.

    Comment by beyond — On March, 21st, 2010 at 11:10 pm

  6. Wonderful photos. Absolutely love your photos.

    Love the composition and color you have chosen. Your last photograph is specially very appealing.

    Natural Light works
    Natural light makes photos amazingly in true color and very real and mouth-watering.

    Props
    Love the props in the last photograph. Pieces of macarons on the table give an impression that someone just tried or ate some of them.

    Colors
    Love the choice of color. Yellow gels with the yellow in the dish and having one color dominating in the photo makes it very focused and distraction free.

    Thank you for sharing your photos with us.

    Comment by Neel | Learn Food Photography — On March, 21st, 2010 at 11:21 pm

  7. These look gorgeous, can’t wait to try them. Thanks for sharing!

    Comment by Joe @ Eden Kitchen — On March, 21st, 2010 at 11:37 pm

  8. Tout à fait ce qu’il me fallait pour utiliser “la tonne de noix de coco” que j’ai achetée sans vraiment réfléchir.

    Comment by Vanille — On March, 22nd, 2010 at 1:10 am

  9. A great recipe I could use for office treats, as I have a new colleague who is allergic to gluten and dairy products. Thanks.

    Comment by Nathalie (spacedlaw) — On March, 22nd, 2010 at 2:44 am

  10. Wow, she is walking… :)
    I love your photos and your recipes.
    Have a nice day!

    Comment by Carolina — On March, 22nd, 2010 at 2:48 am

  11. CE SONT FANTASTIQUES TES PHOTOS AVEC TON BEBE!!!
    Et la recette des macarrons superbe.

    Comment by Mercè — On March, 22nd, 2010 at 4:23 am

  12. On saturday afternoon I was having my cup pf tea with a friend, another foodblogger, and we were just talking about your enchanting photos and the joy and light they suggest. And we both agreed that such a brightness cannot come from any professional lamp, but from your heart!

    Comment by Onde99 — On March, 22nd, 2010 at 4:23 am

  13. I love the simplicity of these macarons and your photos are always inspiring. Nice day at the beach!!

    Comment by Sally — On March, 22nd, 2010 at 5:10 am

  14. l’océan de ce coté-ci de l’atlantique donne envie aussi ♡ de même que ces macarons
    jolie balade gustative et visuelle
    à bientôt
    dominique

    Comment by dominique — On March, 22nd, 2010 at 5:28 am

  15. Where do you get the yogurt in the jars? Is it something you have found in markets here in the states or do you make your own? If so, what brand yogurt maker do you use?
    I love,love,love macaroons. Thanks for the recipe!

    Comment by Julie — On March, 22nd, 2010 at 7:18 am

  16. Lulu is so *cute* and you look good!

    Comment by Angela KL — On March, 22nd, 2010 at 8:07 am

  17. love the pictures and the idea of making macaroons with coconut. i’ve just buy one!=)

    Comment by a_krol (rabbit's cookbook) — On March, 22nd, 2010 at 8:27 am

  18. Fabulous combination! I can’t wait to try this! Fantastic pictures, we are headed to the beach in NC later this week, I don’t really expect any swimsuits to come out of our bag. Good snuggling weather! Lulu is precious! Happy Monday~LeslieMichele

    Comment by The Chef In My Head — On March, 22nd, 2010 at 9:48 am

  19. oh Bea, i love macaroons so much but what i love about the post the most is to see lulu walking and having her hear the waves magical! beautiful pictures as well!

    Comment by nadia — On March, 22nd, 2010 at 11:28 am

  20. I have been making macaroons a lot lately and my children love them. I use a different recipe with coconut flour… but I will have to try yours. It’s so simple.
    Merci!

    Comment by Gaelle@whatareyoufeedingyourkidsthesedays.com — On March, 22nd, 2010 at 11:48 am

  21. Looks lovely.. and love all your photos ;)

    Comment by mycookinghut — On March, 22nd, 2010 at 11:52 am

  22. that’s true!! I also always make coconut macaroons when I have egg whites left (what is the case when I just baked “tresse au beurre” for example…).

    un bonjour de l’autre coté de l’océan!

    PS: j’adore ton petit plateau rose :)

    Comment by Tamara — On March, 22nd, 2010 at 12:52 pm

  23. Macaroons are so DELISH! I must try this recipe.

    trulyepicurious.blogspot.com

    Comment by Melissa — On March, 22nd, 2010 at 1:39 pm

  24. Hi ,

    I really like to ask about your jars, remarkins, or i dont know what they called you baked looks very delicous petits pots de crème ?
    Both are glass ones, and ceramic ones? Please can you tell me ?

    Comment by Sam — On March, 22nd, 2010 at 4:41 pm

  25. The addition of lime is very appealing. Such beautiful and tempting imagery too.

    Comment by Denise | Chez Danisse — On March, 22nd, 2010 at 4:53 pm

  26. How lucky you are to have a beach nearby! Wonderful pictures as always!
    By the way, I am super excited since I just bought my ticket for the food blogger conference in London this June!! Can’t wait to hear your talks and to meet you in person!
    A bientôt!

    Comment by Anne — On March, 22nd, 2010 at 5:17 pm

  27. Somehow you managed to capture so many of my favorite things into one post: coconut, limes, picnics and the beach – and all with such gorgeous photos. Congratulations to your little one for getting her toes sandy!

    Comment by Morgan G — On March, 22nd, 2010 at 6:29 pm

  28. J’adore tous les desserts à la noix de coco. Ceux-ci doivent être particulièrement rafraîchissants avec le citron vert.

    Comment by Dinners & Dreams — On March, 22nd, 2010 at 7:58 pm

  29. It makes a change to see this kind of macaroon lately, I love coconut and lime together and I really like that green and white fabric you’ve used in one of the shots too. Can’t wait to hear your talk at FBC in June.

    Comment by Sarah, Maison Cupcake — On March, 23rd, 2010 at 3:02 am

  30. Hmmmm, je vais essayer cette recette sans tarder. Superbes photos, superbe post, on a hate au livre de cuisine :)

    Comment by Cathy — On March, 23rd, 2010 at 3:25 am

  31. A-do-ra-ble. Ma preferee est celle de toi en train d’aider Lulu a marcher. And of course the macaroons looking delicious doesn’t hurt at all. Such wonderful atmosphere and radiant and pastel colors in all the pictures. How do you do it? =)

    Comment by Hilda — On March, 23rd, 2010 at 4:19 am

  32. I keep looking at your photos, they are so beautiful!…The feeling of helping your precious daughter to take her first steps must be amazing! I will definately try your recipe. By the way, the muffins look great too, what are these?

    Comment by Dimitra — On March, 23rd, 2010 at 7:11 am

  33. Thank you, merci, to everyone! Lulu’s first steps at the beach. I feel blessed to have picures to show her, one day!

    As to the jar glasses, they are indeed recycled jars from yogurts, brought back from France where it’s common to buy yogurts in such jars. Once, a long time ago, I also found two cute ones at Trader Joes, but I don’t think they make them anymore.

    Dimitra, the muffins are sweet but made with vegetables too. Lulu has no idea ;-) I will have to post the recipe. I must say, they are *really* delicious.

    Comment by Béa — On March, 23rd, 2010 at 7:21 am

  34. I love your recipes and your photos!!! ^ – ^

    Comment by caramel à la fleur de sel — On March, 23rd, 2010 at 8:34 am

  35. What beautiful pictures :)

    Comment by Nirvana — On March, 23rd, 2010 at 10:13 am

  36. i love a nice walk on the beach and then a picnic stop. i love seeing lulu’s first step. how wonderful and exciting it is when they start walking.

    Comment by Aran — On March, 23rd, 2010 at 10:34 am

  37. [...] Coconut and Lime Macaroons — Macarons noix de coco et citron vert … [...]

    Pingback by reception Coco Banana | World Tourism And Travel Council — On March, 23rd, 2010 at 12:10 pm

  38. Wow, the photos are gorgeous, it seems like it was a wonderful day!
    Saving this recipe, thank you :)

    Comment by Fran — On March, 23rd, 2010 at 12:46 pm

  39. I love days when you have to bundle up but it’s sunny enough to be at the beach! And your macaroons look lovely. I’ve never added lime to macaroons before, but will be baking a ton of them over the next week for Passover, so I’ll hav eto give the lime a shot. Thanks!

    Comment by Katie @ Cozydelicious — On March, 23rd, 2010 at 9:38 pm

  40. Two of my favorite flavors in one macaroon. Heavenly. Just like your photos!

    Comment by my spatula — On March, 24th, 2010 at 7:49 pm

  41. Not only I always love your stories, your recipes, your photo but also the soft and delicate mood you communicate. Your macarons look so simple and yummy!

    Comment by Dada — On March, 25th, 2010 at 3:56 am

  42. Ma grand-mère alsacienne faisait exactement la même chose avec des blancs d’œufs en trop: des macarons (plus souvent à l’amande qu’à la noix de coco) ou des meringues.
    Toutes tes photos (et les textes qui les accompagnent) dégagent énormément de choses… C’est très émouvant.

    Comment by Marimuse — On March, 25th, 2010 at 8:23 am

  43. Thanks again to everyone of you for your comments, and stopping by. Merci!

    Comment by Béa — On March, 25th, 2010 at 9:44 pm

  44. i’ve been reading this website for a couple years now – the bright and colorful pictures are always a good break for the eyes!

    i made this recipe earlier this week and…it didn’t work! the batter was very liquidy and so the macaroons didn’t keep their form – instead, they kind of spread out like pancakes.

    for the second batch i tried adding a bit of flour and baking soda but that made them too floury.

    any tips? is the batter supposed to be so liquidy – and if so, how did you get the macaroons to keep their shape?

    thanks :)

    Comment by tigerswims — On March, 26th, 2010 at 6:47 am

  45. Tigerswims, sorry to hear the macaroons didn’t work. They should certainly not spread at all. In fact, the batter is *not* liquidy at all. The coconut mixed to the whites should absorb the liquid. You have to mix until it’s fairly thick and you can shape the macaroons easily. What eggs did you use? If you were to find the batter liquidy again, add more coconut. I also like to work with the ti of my fingers to feel the texture of the batter. Hope this helps! And sorry that the first attempt was not right.

    Comment by Béa — On March, 26th, 2010 at 7:24 am

  46. Any chance that is Crane’s Beach?? I was there in January in similar weather and your photographs remind me so much of the ones I took then… but of course, beaches all look pretty similar. I love the wintery beach thing – the colors are just incredible.

    Comment by Katie — On March, 26th, 2010 at 3:49 pm

  47. Wow! Such gorgeous photos! I stumbled upon your blog b/c I was looking for French milk bottles and you (back many moons ago) were doing the same. I’m happy I did b/c now I not only have my milk bottles, but another wonderful blog to follow! :)

    Comment by Spicy Green Mango — On April, 3rd, 2010 at 3:15 am

  48. Un bien sympathique reportage (envoyé spécial la suite) qui a titillé mes papilles et dilaté mes pupilles !
    Un petit salut de la Drôme…

    Comment by Kiki — On April, 3rd, 2010 at 8:51 am

  49. une traduction française du site serait la bienvenue
    Merci et bravo

    Comment by cdroopy — On April, 3rd, 2010 at 10:02 am

  50. bonjour,
    je viens de voir le reportage sur france2 et cela m’a donné envie de visiter votre blog, j’habite dans une région viticole, mon mari est viticulteur et bonne cuisine et vins se conjuguent parfaitement, je vais prendre le temps pour voir votre site et “copier vos recette”, vos photos sont très belles un petit bonjour des vignes
    cath

    Comment by chirat — On April, 3rd, 2010 at 11:13 am

  51. I just made your recipe for macaroons. They came out delicious and were super easy (which is important for me, since I am such a novice in the kitchen.) Thank you for sharing!

    Comment by Susan — On April, 11th, 2010 at 9:31 am

  52. I just made these and they were delicious, easy and super quick – thanks a bunch!

    Comment by Chanel — On April, 20th, 2010 at 1:16 am

  53. Question: do I need to beat up egg whites? Or it is ok to use them as they are?
    Thanks.

    Comment by Eglė — On April, 26th, 2010 at 12:34 pm

  54. Egle, just use them as they are.

    Comment by Béa — On April, 26th, 2010 at 12:40 pm

  55. [...] birthday last night with a raw veggie plate, Mark Bittman’s bean dip, takeout pizza, homemade macaroons, black licorice and whiskey. Best of all, we enjoyed our evening with friends Michele, Ethan, Baron [...]

    Pingback by Portrait – 5 months — On May, 21st, 2010 at 6:33 pm

  56. My very first batch of the lime macaroons came out of the oven only a few moments ago and they are mostly gone already..my husband just loves them!
    Thanks so much for the wonderful recipe and for producing such a beautiful blog!

    Comment by Trish — On June, 1st, 2010 at 7:56 pm

  57. Yesterday I really felt like baking, so I made the macarons for our evening walk at the beach (I used lemon zest from our lemon tree instead of lime). They were sooo delicious!…Béa, could you please post the recipe for the muffins too, when you have time?
    Thank you very much!…

    Comment by Dimitra — On July, 8th, 2010 at 2:02 am

  58. [...] Adapted from La Tartine Gourmonde [...]

    Pingback by Citrus macaroons « The primal recipe archive — On July, 19th, 2010 at 6:46 pm

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