My office’s annual bake-off was this week. Each year, me and my coworkers bake treats, with two winners selected. Two years ago, I won with a French silk pie. Last year, I made brownies with peanut butter frosting. I didn’t win, though they didn’t exactly come out the way I wanted. This year, I decided to try something a bit different, my take on macaroons.
I felt it was not a choice without risks. Everyone loves chocolate chip cookies, for instance. However, coconut can be a bit polarizing–not as much as carrot cake, but I know plenty of people who will turn down something because of it. However, based on past entries, I thought they’d be a bit different, and I knew they were fairly reliable.
I made two batches, for a total of three dozen, to ensure there were plenty. Three were sampled by me, my wife, and my daughter, for quality control, and another three were kept for us. My wife and daughter had a very blissful look on their faces as they ate them.
When I brought my case of macaroons to the office, I had to fill out a tag. I was writing “Coconut Macaroons” when I was asked if it has nuts, and, if so, write “Nuts” on the tag (an allergy thing). I was somewhat amused by the redundancy.
The judging happened, then the remaining deserts were offered to the office for a donation, a fund raiser for a charity my office supports. There seemed to be a bit of a buzz about the macaroons–I started to feel confident. Around 2 PM, it was official: I was one of the two winners. As before, I was given a nice gift basket.
I do want to thank the Salt and Serenity blog, where I got the recipe. I love the recipes and associated memories. She makes things that look a hundred times better than what comes out of my oven.
Mr. Guilt's Blog 
Thanks so much Mr Guilt. I am so excited that you won the bake-off with these macaroons. They look fantastic. Keep baking!