Chocolate Coconut Macaroons
Author: 
Serves: makes 30 cookies
 
Ingredients
  • 2 ½ cups unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon raw honey or Grade A maple syrup
  • ¼ cup almond meal or flour
  • ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 4 large egg whites
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 ounces, bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (optional)
Instructions
  1. In a large skillet combine coconut, sugar, honey, almond meal, salt, and egg whites. Please do as I say and COMBINE everything BEFORE placing over heat, otherwise you will end up with a coconut frittata. I'll give you one guess how I know this. Place over medium-low heat on the stove, stirring constantly. When the mixture just begins to stick to the bottom of the pan, almost about to scorch, remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. You are going for sticky, not dry and pasty.
  2. Transfer to a bowl to cool to room temperature. You can refrigerate the dough for up to one week or freeze up to one month.
  3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  4. Using a small ice cream scoop, form the dough into little mounds and space them evenly on the prepared sheet pans. Shape them into little pyramids, if desired.
  5. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  6. If desired, melt chocolate in a heat -proof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, aka a double boiler. Dip cooled macaroons in chocolate (wherever you like -- tops, bottoms, sides) and allow to cool completely on cooling rack or on a parchment-lined baking sheet if you dipped the bottoms. If history repeats and you need to make like an Isrealite, stick the chocolate covered macaroons in the fridge to harden the chocolate quickety-quick.
Notes
You can also add some mini-chocolate chips to the cooled macaroon batter, then shape and bake.
Recipe by Pamela Salzman at https://pamelasalzman.com/coconut-macaroons/