4 EASY COCONUT MACAROONS

1 egg white
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon caster sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
optional: 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1 large handful grated coconut

Preheat oven to 150°C, 300°F, gas mark 2. Butter and flour a baking sheet, knocking off excess flour. Stir everything together all except the coconut and mix until it’s all combined. Then stir in the coconut. Divide into fourths, and drop in 4 mounds onto baking sheet. Bake until tops are golden, about 15 minutes.

COCONUT MILK

Our fresh coconut milk recipe, though thinner than the tinned type, is perfect for curries, coconut rice, Thai soups or sauces. Makes 900ml (or save some coconut to grate, and combine the two in a recipe)

Open and drain the coconut. Place it on a rack and bake in a 170°C, 325°F, gas 3 oven for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, let it cool, and crack with hammer to break up the shell. Remove the meat, peel off the brown skin, and cut the meat into small chunks. Place the meat in a blender, cover with 450 ml hot water and blend well. Place a sieve covered with a cheese cloth or a coffee filter over a bowl and pour the mixture into the sieve, squeezing handfuls of coconut to extract more of the milk. Return the meat to the blender, add 450 ml hot water and repeat the process. Discard the squeezed coconut meat and refrigerate milk for up to 3 days. For coconut rice, simply substitute 2/3 of the water for coconut milk when cooking the rice - and add fresh grated coconut if you have it! This is great with curries and fish.