I cannot figure out why this recipe has such poor reviews. I signed up for this website purely to review this recipe because I was shocked to see it rated so poorly lol. My family has a huge cookie baking day each Christmas and this recipe has been in our rotation for years now, it's one of my personal favorites and a great gluten free cookie option. And we are picky about what we bake so it has to be good to have lasted this long. My theory is that either people are using the wrong type of coconut (shredded, not flaked! I didn't even know this type of coconut existed before I made this recipe honestly) or they are just impatient. It is a bit delicate to shape, but once you get the hang of it this recipe is easy. My strategy is to put my non-dominant hand face up toward the ceiling, and then scoop up some of the mixture in my dominant hand, place is on the non-dominant palm, and then pinch and rotate, pinch and rotate, until you get the shape right. I know it sounds silly, but of all of us who bake these cookies only two of us have the patience to shape them. Wash your hands occasionally when you're forming as well, it's easier when your hands aren't caked up with the extra coconut mixture. This is an elegant, delicious and fun Christmas treat. Don't be scared of the reviews, give it a try!

Too much sugar.....use half!! And the trees stick to the parchment paper.....ugggg

I didn't have any issues with this recipe, other than the fact that I accidentally used "sweetened" coconut. I used good quality vanilla, organic eggs, organic sugar, kosher salt, and coconut from Trader Joe's. They browned well, and they were nice and chewy after they cooled. Since I used the wrong kind of coconut, they were too sweet, so I didn't add the powdered sugar on top. I'll try these again, but with the unsweetened coconut.

Before I try this I would like to hear from Martha's staff regarding some of the "problems" some had with runny or too moist mixture and vanilla issue.

Going to try this tomorrow, but am going to use "green" coconut I think they'll turn out nice with the dusting of the confectioner's sugar as snow... (will take the tips here about adding a little flour and cutting down a tad on the vanilla. I didn't see any updates from the Martha Team in response to the reviews. hmmmm Would be Helpful!

I have this exact Martha Stewart recipe from 1999. It didn't call for any flour, but only called for one teaspoon vanilla. It was supposed to make 20 macaroons and be baked for 15 minutes. Maybe that will help your results.

I followed the recipe exactly. The macaroon trees turned out great. My bunco friends were impressed.

What a hit this was! I made this according to the recipe, except that I cut the sugar to a half cup, since I was using sweetened coconut. They came out perfect. I've taken them to two events this month, and several people have asked for the recipe.

I too had trouble with this recipe. I followed directions to a tee and not only did I not get 18, but they were brown and they flattened out. I thought maybe there was too much vanilla. They were a cute holiday cookie but I will not try again unless there is a fix.

I really like this recipe, and I read all the other responces before trying it. I took into concideration about the wetness and added about 3 to 4 tblsp of flour into the batter for a binding agent. I also beat the vanilla, sugar, egg whites for a bit and made them a little thick before adding the coconut and flour. The cookies are wonderful best macaroons I have ever had.