The World's Fluffiest Easy Coconut Macaroons

Coconut Macaroons (about 20-22 two-inch cookies)

4 tablespoons sifted cake flour (all purpose works great too)
2/3 cup granulated sugar put through coffee grinder to turn to powder
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional, I always omit the salt)
4 large egg whites (close to room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups sweetened shredded coconut (I use the entire 14 ounce package)

I process the sugar and the flour (for this recipe I prefer unbleached, all purpose as it has less gluten and results in a lighter, more tender macaroon). I have also used Bolts Red Mill one to one gluten free flour. In my coffee grinder, I grind the flour and then the sugar for a few seconds for the fluffiest macaroons ever. This step is not necessary and I know some leave out the flour completely if following a gluten-free diet, but I like the macaroons with the flour and sugar.

Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry, add vanilla and beat for a second. Take a strainer and sift the fluffy flour with fluffy sugar through a strainer into the beaten egg whites, a bit at a time and very gently fold in, continue this until the sugar/flour mixture is folded into the beaten eggs whites. Then add the coconut a bit at a time and continue to very carefully fold it into the egg white/flour/sugar mixture. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto a parchment paper covered baking sheet (baking sheet preparationexplained below) allowing space for spreading.
I get about 25 2 inch macaroons from the recipe.

Bake in preheated 350 F oven about 18 minutes or until golden brown on the edges and dry on the surface, be careful not to over bake. My husband grew up liking everything over-baked and he likes them at 20 minutes when the entire macaroon is a uniform golden color -- Most prefer just some golden on the outer most coconut, around the edges and on the bottom.
Preparing baking sheet, spray metal pan with cooking spray, put parchment paper over the sprayed pan, the idea being that the macaroons do not get parchment paper stuck in them as the parchment paper sticks to the pan. The macaroon batter is sticky -- so let them cool before gently removing them from the parchment paper. If you move them before they cool, a bit of the cookie will be stuck to the parchment paper!