Preheat your oven to 180 degrees celsius/356 degrees fahrenheit for atleast 15 minutes before baking.
making coconut macaroons mixture
Take condensed milk in a bowl. With a wired whisk, beat the condensed milk for 2 minutes continously.
Then add the desiccated coconut. Add the coconut in batches. Overall I added 1.5 cups of unsweetened desiccated coconut (90 grams) in two batches. Mix well.
Then add next batch of 1/2 cup of desiccated coconut.
Mix again very well. The mixture consistency should be like what is shown in the pic. It should not be batter like. A thick dropping consistency is also fine.
Depending on the type of desiccated coconut, you may require to add more or less than what is mentioned in the recipe. So add accordingly.
Add 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla essence. Mix again very well.
The mixture is sticky. So rub some coconut oil or butter in your palms and pinch balls from the coconut mixture. Roll and flatten them.
baking coconut macaroons
Place them on a greased baking tray. Do grease the tray well with coconut oil or butter. You can also spoon the mixture on the baking tray. I wanted an even shape and look, so I shaped them in round cookies.
Press lightly half of each glazed red cherry on the macaroons. Cherries are optional and you can skip them.
Bake at 180 degrees in a preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes till they are pale or light golden from the top. Do keep a check as oven temperatures differ.
This is how the bottom of these coconut macaroons should appear. Slightly more browned than regular cookies.
After 2 minutes, remove them with a flat spatula. Do wear oven mittens as the baking tray will be hot. Place the macaroons on a wired rack to cool.
Once they, cool completely then store in an airtight jar. Serve coconut macaroons as a sweet dessert cookie or with milk.