Dark chocolate dipped coconut macaroons 

Another one of Jon's favorite sweet treats! I just happened to have egg whites left over from making creme brûlées and so naturally the only thing to do was to make coconut macaroons. These are really easy to make and are the perfect bite-sized treat to hit that sweet spot with no guilt. If you love coconut, then these are exactly what you need in your life! 

*This recipes makes about 30 macaroons using a ½ inch ice cream scoop. This recipe can easily be halved or quartered*

Ingredients:

6 egg whites

4 ½ c unsweetened shredded coconut

¼ tsp. sea salt

3 tsp. vanilla extract

3 tbsp coconut oil

¼ c maple syrup

1 tbsp. raw honey

1 cup dark chocolate (85%)

Sea salt flakes

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Beat egg whites in a medium bowl until foamy. 

3. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until well combined.

4. Using an ice cream scoop (I used a ½ inch scoop), place macaroons on baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 12-15 minutes (or until golden brown).

• Set your timer for at least 12 minutes and do a little check up to see how the macaroons are doing. If they aren’t golden brown yet, set your timer for one minute increments until they are.

5. When the macaroons are golden brown, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for about 3-5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them onto another baking sheet (or plate)

6. Repeat with the remaining macaroon mixture.

7. While the macaroons are baking, place the dark chocolate in a double boiler until melted.

• A double boiler consists of a pot with 1-2 inches of water over medium heat with a bowl placed on top (make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water).

8. Once the coconut macaroons are cooled, dip the bottoms (or the tops!) of the macaroons in the chocolate and place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper.

• Inner chef moment: chopped nuts, dried cranberries, coconut flakes, sea salt flakes etc make great toppings and additions to the macaroons.
• Tip: When dipping the bottoms of the macaroons, use an angled approach and twirl the macaroon in the chocolate instead of going straight down into the chocolate. I had many coconut macaroon tops come off! Which isn’t all that bad because those become your taste testers. 

9. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes (optional)

10. Allow the chocolate coconut macaroons to cool either at room temperature (if you live in a cool enough area) or in the refrigerator.

Enjoy and treat yourself well!