Old Fashioned Coconut and Rose Water Macaroons

What can be nicer then inviting friends and family over for an old fashioned afternoon tea. Homemade bread, sandwiches, cakes, biscuits (cookies) and these delightful rose scented coconut macaroons. These are not the same as the little piped, multi-coloured and flavoured macaroons that you find in France; these are rustic and yet elegant little coconut mounds or pyramids, real old fashioned biscuit type cakes. As well as being delicious, these are also easy to make. If you would like to add a little food colouring to make them a pale pink, that would make them look so pretty! BUT, be warned, do add the colouring carefully, many a pale rose coloured biscuit (cookie) has ended up a bright puce colour! Recipe from Francis Bissell.

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Serves: 12
• Yields: 24-30 Macaroons

Ingredients

• 250  g  desiccated coconut (NOT sweetened coconut)
• 250  g icing sugar (Confectioner's sugar)
• 4  tablespoonfuls  cream
•  rose water (to taste)
• 2  large  egg whites (lightly beaten)
•  rice paper
•  red food coloring (optional)
•  crystallised  rose petal (optional)

Directions

1. Mix the coconut and sugar, add the cream, a little rosewater, a spot of food colouring if using it, and enough egg-white to bind together in a firm paste.
2. Use teaspoons or dessertspoons, dipped in water, to shape small oval quenelles, or use a mould to shape them into pyramids. Place them on a baking-sheet, lined with rice paper, and bake in a pre-heated oven at gas mark 3/170 C for 15 to 20 minutes, until they are just set and still pale.
3. Remove them from the oven, top each with a piece of crystallised rose petal, and leave to cool on a wire rack.
4. Small pieces of glacé cherries can be substituted for the rose petals. When the macaroons are baked you can dip them in a little melted chocolate and leave it to set if you wish too.