Cocchini

This is something that my mum always used to make when I was a kid and, to my knowledge, still makes. In a nutshell, these are simple coconut meringues which you can drizzle with some melted chocolate (as in the picture below) or leave plain, like my mum does. Don’t ask me why, but hers turn out a lot smaller and less meringue-y. In fact, rather like biscuits. Even following the recipe step by step, my cocchini always look like meringues, which, in the end, I quite like.

Ingredients

• 3 egg whites
• 300g caster sugar
• 250g desiccated coconut
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius.
2. Line a big oven tray with baking parchment.
3. In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until they hold soft peaks. 
4. Gradually add the vanilla extract and caster sugar, whisking all the time so as to obtain a glossy and stiff meringue.
5. Slowly and carefully fold in the coconut. The mixture will be really stiff, but that is absolutely fine.
6. Using a teaspoon and a tablespoon, dollop roughly equal amounts of the meringue on the lined tray.
7. Bake in the oven for about 10 to 15 minutes. Check the meringues, they are ready before they start to colour.
8. IMPORTANT!! Leave the door of the oven slightly ajar, so as to allow an even bake and to let the steam out.
9. Once ready, take them out of the oven and allow to cool.
10. If you want, drizzle some chocolate on top or leave plain.

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