Macaroon Cookies my Grandmother made

In the past few months, I have been longing for food that I remember from my youth but have not had them for a loooong time. I recall my favorite "pan de coco" from the Tasterite Bakery at Project 6 Market. It's not the typical coconut and brown sugar filling but it seems like coconut moistened with condensed milk. Thinking about it, makes me want to drive there and buy a dozen!

Another one is my Grandmother's macaroon cookies. She would drop small spoonfuls on squares of wax paper. Her's was chewy and difficult to peel off the paper. But I just loved it so much-- it didn't matter that I was eating the bit of wax paper stubbornly stuck to my morsel!

One afternoon, I decided to give it a shot and make a batch, again, based on taste bud memory.

It's not as chewy, but almost like my childhood. And with silicon mats-- I don't have to chew on wax paper ever again. :-)

3 cups dessicated coconut

1 can or tetrapack of condensed milk (250 ml)

3 eggs

2/3 c butter, melted

2 t vanilla extract

1/2 c flour mixed with 1/2 t baking soda

optional: 1 zest of dayap

Preheat oven to about 275-300 degrees. Beat eggs, add condensed milk, melted butter, vanilla extract and hand mix.(Not much arm action here, don't worry.) Slowly add flour and baking soda mixture. Add zest. Drop spoonfuls and bake for about 10-12 minutes.

For a bit of decoration, top with glazed pili nuts before putting in the oven. (Glazed pili nuts can be bought from the grocery.) I'm not really much of a baker, so I check the cookies in the oven every now and then.

Now, I get to share another bite of my childhood with my own kids :-)