Scottish Macaroon Bars with Cherry

Scottish Macaroon Bars with Cherries

Today I am making Scottish Macaroon Bars with Cherry Centers

The special ingredients for this challenge are Cherry and Chocolate and so I knew what I had to make

Macaroons have another very special and surprising ingredient.... Potato

I know right? It's strange to include potato in a sweet treat but don't be afraid this is genius

The potato helps to solidify the center of the macaroon making it firm and creamy at the same time, very scientific indeed


So back to the Cherry Macaroon Bars

You will need

One small potato (boiled, mashed and cooled)
500g/1lb Powdered Sugar/icing sugar (and possibly more to get the perfect texture)
8 Maraschino Cherries
170g/6oz Shredded Sweetened Coconut
280g/10oz chocolate

Ingredients

• sift the powdered sugar into a large bowl

Powdered sugar

• add to the powedered sugar the cold mashed potato a little at a time, mixing with an electric hand held mixer until it is ready, you will know when it is ready it will thicken and become stiff

Making Scottish Macaroons

Scottish Macaroon center

• wash and cut the cherries into small pieces and add to the mixture you may need to add more powdered sugar here if it starts to weep and melt 

Cherries

add cherries

more powdered sugar

• with cold hands, mold the mixture into rectangles on a baking sheet, put the macaroons in the freezer to dry and set (about 10 minutes)

set in freezer

• using a bain marie (bowl over a pot with hot water) melt the chocolate, set aside to cool slightly

Bain marie

• Place the coconut on a baking sheet and toast for a couple of minutes until slightly golden

toasted coconut

• once the bars are set and the chocolate cooled, using one hand for the chocolate and one hand for the coconut, dip the macaroon bar into the chocolate using one hand and then pass to the other hand to roll in the coconut I have no pictures of this part as my fingers were super messy (you will see for yourself)

• place on a plate and back into the freezer just for 5 minutes

I hope you enjoy these delicious treats

Macaroon bars are a great sweet treat from my childhood and to this day children in Scotland still love Scottish Macaroon Bars

If you must try something Scottish, try these

you wont be disappointed and neither will your kids or grand kids

Scottish Macaroon Bars with Cherries

You can break them into small bite sized pieces or just enjoy the whole bar , and store them in an air tight container for a week (if they last that long *wink*)