Macaroons By Danny Macaroons

Danny Macaroons redefines the coconut dessert

While the rest of the world is still agog over delicate French-style macarons, we're having an affair with tradition.

And the new coconut-based confections from Danny Macaroons are to blame.

Years ago, proprietor Danny Cohen was told by his mother that if he wanted macaroons at Passover, he'd have to make them himself. So he did just that. Then he kept making them after his relatives complained when he arrived empty-handed at other family holidays.

Cohen has spent a decade refining his recipe of coarse-cut coconut, egg whites and condensed milk to create 10 varieties of macaroons. Each is at once moist and crisp, gluten-free and now available online (plain are $10 a half dozen, $20 a dozen; all others are $24 to $36 per dozen).

Baked in New York's East Harlem, the judiciously sized treats have evolved far beyond the doctrinal options: Try salted caramel, double chocolate and red velvet, which is true to form with cream cheese icing and toasted pecans.

This summer, look for new flavors such as carrot cake and an inverted coconut rice pudding, which will include rice, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Eat them right out of the box, or, with the summer months upon us, try freezing a few–it's as if an Almond Joy found heaven in your freezer.