Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons

This recipe and photos were provided by Sally Roeckell of Table and Dish and were originally published at 365Barrington.com.

What is your favorite holiday cookie, the one you can’t resist sneaking from the tin before they’re shared? Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons have become our family’s favorite. They’re easy and delicious.

If you, like me, have been a life long coconut hater, these cookies might just be what brings you out of the darkness. I am now a coconut lover because of these. I recently packaged and sold these cookies at my company holiday charity bazaar.  I made 52 bags and extra for samples. The samples went fast and every bag was sold.  They’re THAT good.

Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons

Ingredients:

• 1 14 oz bag sweetened coconut
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 egg whites
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla
• pinch of salt
• 1 pound dark chocolate for dipping. Ghirardelli makes a nice dark chocolate.

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350°
• In a large mixing bowl combine coconut, condensed milk, salt and vanilla. Set aside.
• In a mixer, whip your egg whites until form medium-stiff peaks.
• Fold the egg whites gently into the coconut mixture.
• Using a medium-sized scoop, scoop out the dough onto a cookie sheet covered with parchment. Don’t pack the scoop tightly. A loose ball of dough is best. It will spread out a bit as it cooks. This gives more surface area to the bottom of the cookie.
• Don’t be tempted to take them out too soon*. You want them to be golden brown with dark brown tips and edges. The dark edges give a sweet chewy-crunch to the cookie and under the dark chocolate, it is divine.
• In a glass, heatproof, shallow bowl add 1/2 of the chocolate.  Microwave for 1 minute. Stir, repeat for 30 seconds, stir then one last time if needed to melt all pieces.  Stir constantly until chocolate is smooth and melted but not too hot.
• Dip each cookie bottom into the chocolate then return to the parchment.
• Allow cookies to cool completely and for the chocolate to harden before placing into an airtight storage container.  If you seal it too soon the moisture will take away that delicious crunchiness. Don’t be in a rush. (perfect time for a glass of holiday wine)

*I recommend starting with 8 minutes on the timer and keeping an eye on them to start to turn toasty brown. It may take up to 12 minutes, however, I would caution leaving your timer set for 12 minutes as you risk burning them.  Once they start to brown, they progress quickly.

ENJOY!