Every year for our holiday gifts, I pick an idea and make our family homemade food gifts: Mixed nuts, hot chocolate mixes, marshmallows, pastas, tomato sauces, jams, brownie mixes, bacon jam, scone mixes, dried fruit roll ups, salsas, deer jerky, etc. This year I'm staying sweet, in baked and in candy form. The first item in the "Monogrammed Holiday Assortment" pack is Monogram Coconut Macaroons. So to my family and friends that receive our gifts as well as read the next few weeks worth of posts, well, Merry Early Christmas!
Personalized gifts are (obviously) special. Sure, these macaroons could have been shaped into wreaths or trees but using people's first initial will hopefully let everyone on our list know that each box was crafted for them. I never thought to use my alphabet cookie cutters for this purpose but it totally worked. Instead of using them to cut, I used them as molds (I know, genius, right?). If you'd rather spell other words like "LOVE" "JOY" "HO HO HO", do it! Or use other cookie cutter shapes to mold the mixture.
It's the same recipe I used here. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place a piece of plastic wrap on the counter to later help facilitate flipping the macaroon-filled cookie cutter over. Lightly press the mixture into the cookie cutter, making sure to work it into the corners. Use a wet finger to run over the coconut mixture to help press it out. It's so easy and I love the way they turned out. The recipe made 30 letters. Enjoy!