I've never actually made a coconut cream pie, but I do know that the two major components are custard and coconut! So I filled these macarons with a simple, delicious vanilla/toasted coconut custard. I didn't flavor the macaron shell itself, but you're more than welcome to use a bit of coconut extract if you want to add an extra kick of coconut flavor. Recipe and photo courtesy of Meriem Kouar from Culinary Couture.
Add almond flour and powdered sugar to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine and break apart any big lumps. Sift mixture into a clean bowl. Discard any large pieces that do not pass through the sieve.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites, sugar, and ivory gel paste on low speed for 3 minutes, medium speed for 3 minutes, then high speed for 3 minutes. The beaten egg whites should stick to the whisk when you remove it. Tap the whisk against the side of the bowl to release them into the bowl. Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the egg whites. Using a spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the egg whites, until the batter is smooth and lava-like. Be careful not to overmix. The batter should slowly fall off your spatula when you pick it up and any peaks in the batter should settle down within 20 seconds.
Transfer batter to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mat.
Pipe 1.5 inch rounds onto the parchment paper(or silicone mat). It is helpful to use a guide here, so all your macarons are the same size. Once all the rounds are piped out, slam the baking sheet against a flat stable surface, then rotate, and slam again. This is done to force any large air bubbles to the surface. Sprinkle half of the piped macarons with jimmies or sprinkles, then let them dry on the countertop for 60-90 minutes. The macarons are properly dried when you touch the top of the mounds and the batter doesn't stick to your finger.
Preheat oven to 300°F. Place the baking sheet with piped macarons on an empty baking sheet and bake on the middle rack for 18-20 minutes. Oven temperature varies, so keep an eye on them. To check if they are done, touch the top of the macaron. If it wobbles, it's not done yet. Let cool completely on baking sheet before removing.
To prepare the filling, place the vanilla pudding mix in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Pour in coconut milk and heavy cream. Beat on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes or until a thick custard forms. Fold in 1/3 cup toasted coconut.
To assemble the macarons, match macaron shells into pairs of similar sizes as best as you can. Spoon custard into a piping bag fitted with a round decorating tip. Pipe a dollop of custard onto the center of half the macaron shells. Sprinkle with some of the remaining toasted coconut. Top them with opposite shells. Refrigerate in an airtight container for 6-8 hours to let the flavors develop.
