Cleo Coyle's Mocha-Dipped Rum Macaroons (with video!)

My recipe today was inspired by one of my favorite Halloween candies.

But first I have a quick, happy announcement...

Espresso Shot is
#3 in Mystery Nationwide!

My editor just informed me that Espresso Shot hit the #3 position on Barnes and Noble's paperback mystery bestseller list. As we sophisticated mystery writers like to say on such occasions: "Wee-haa!!!" The book is also ranked #31 on B&N's overall fiction list (Wee-haa! x2).

For anyone new to this blog,
Espresso Shot is my
7th Coffeehouse Mystery.

You can read
more about
Espresso Shot,
including a
free excerpt by
clicking here.

Needless to say, there will be much rejoicing and dinking of coffee in the Coyle household this weekend. This weekend also marks the one week countdown to one of my favorite holidays: Halloween! And thoughts of that holiday actually inspired this recipe...

Cleo's Mocha-Dipped Rum Macaroons

(with video!)

Do you have a favorite trick or treat candy? After hours trekking our chilly, dark, “haunted” neighborhood in Southwestern Pennsylvania, my sister and I loved upending our pillow cases and dumping our sweet loot out on the living room floor. Sorting and ranking would follow.

Clark Bars were popular when I was growing up (no surprise since they were made in nearby Pittsburgh), but I didn’t really like them much (so I ranked them as a "dud" candy). Baby Ruths, Peanut M&Ms, and Mallow Cups (remember those?!) were big winners, and I especially loved Almond Joys and Mounds bars.

Did you rank your candy, too?! My husband said Clark bars were not a dud for him. He loved them! His dud candy was Good & Penty. (Woops, dating ourselves!)

Given my Almond Joy and Mounds addictions, I still think coconut and chocolate are a superior combo. My little macaroon recipe for you today includes both of those flavors along with the more mature flavor notes of rum and coffee. I especially like drenching those little coconut haystacks in mocha glaze, which really dresses them up for the dessert plate of anything from an elegant dinner party to a simple family supper (at least it does at chez Coyle, lol).


These cookies also pair extremely well with a hot, fresh pot of French roast or a demitasse of espresso.

In fact, "espresso with rum" is such a classic combo I included it in the Recipes and Tips section of my upcoming release, Holiday Grind, along with "espresso coconut-rum" and 80 pages of other coffee and non-coffee holiday recipes.

(You can read more about my 8th Coffeehouse Mystery, Holiday Grind, and read brief summaries of the rest of the books in my series by clicking here.)

Back to the cookies! Today's recipe gives you two ways to make my Mocha-Dipped Rum Macaroons. The first is with rum extract and the second is with real rum (dark not light).

While the rum extract is quicker and easier and does give you a nice flavor, I do think the real rum version is well worth making. The flavor is truly amazing, especially when paired with coffee.

The real rum version also gives your cookie a moister inside--another bonus because the trademark of a truly great coconut macaroon is a crispy exterior and a soft, chewy, moist center.

So here without further ado is my recipe of the week. (Just click the link below and the recipe will appear in PDF format)…

To get Cleo Coyle's recipe for...

Mocha-Dipped Rum Macaroons

Click here

The recipe will appear in PDF format.
You can print it out or save it to your computer.

For more of my recipes or to find out more
about the books in my culinary mystery series,
click this link to my virtual home at
http://www.coffeehousemystery.com/

CLEO'S HOW-TO VIDEO

Once again, in my ongoing bid for
this year's Academy Award, I give you (below) the
happy 50's homemaker version of a helpful how-to
foodie video or HOW TO DIP CLEO'S MACAROONS!

(And, kids, if you try this at home,
don't foget the retro music!)

To see video,
click the play arrow in the lower left
of the frame above...

Until next time
~Cleo Coyle

www.CoffeehouseMystery.com

"Where coffee and crime are always brewing..."