KTK's Summer Kitchen Lab

Those of you who work with us on a regular basis know that for many years we've gone north for several weeks in the summer to work with a favorite client from the West Coast who has a home in Saugatuck, Michigan. During this period we prepare a lot of fun dinner parties and cooking classes, but all the while working on new recipes for the coming Autumn/Winter/Spring. I call it the "Kirk's Traveling Kitchen Culinary Lab". Now we're not going all Modernist Cuisine up there, in fact the only foams undoubtedly have something to do with a coffee drink. No, we're tweaking our classic recipes and creating new ones from the most impeccable ingredients we can bring in or find locally (Michigan is quite the agricultural mecca by mid-summer). Here's a recipe we worked on this summer for Coconut Macaroons with Sour Cherries & Sunflower Seeds:


Coconut Macaroons with Tart Cherry & Sunflower Seeds

Quantity Produced: 15-20 Cookies

Sweetened Condensed Milk 2/3 Cup
Egg White 1 Large
Vanilla Extract 1 ½ Teaspoons
Salt 1/8 Teaspoon

Coconut, Flakes, Sweet 3 Cups
Dried Tart Cherries ½ Cup
Salted Sunflower Seeds ¼ Cup

Preparation Procedure-

Preheat oven to 325˚. Combine milk, egg white, vanilla and salt. Mix thoroughly, then add coconut, cherry and sunflower seeds. Bake on parchment lined sheet pan for 20 to 25 minutes.