Coconut Almond Macaroons

Coconut Almond MacaroonsRecipe by Dragon

Who doesn't love these chewy on the inside and crispy on the outside little darlings? I hadn't made these macaroons in a long time so for my holiday baking I decide to dust off my recipe. After my first bite I wondered why I hadn't made them for so long.....they are divine. I decided to drizzle the top with some dark chocolate to add another flavour layer and a festive touch. Enjoy!

Makes 2 dozen

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups unsweetened finely shredded coconut
2 tablespoons ground almonds
3/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
2 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Almond slices
1 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the coconut, ground almonds sugar and salt.

3. Beat egg whites until frothy then add the vanilla and almond extracts. Continue beating the egg whites until you get soft peaks. Fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture until it is well combined.

3. Using your hands or a small ice cream scoop, form the mixture into small 1 inch. mounds, transferring each to the prepared baking sheet

4. Bake until just the peaks of the cookies are light golden brown, about 12-15 minutes, turning the pan halfway through to ensure even baking. Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire cooling rack.

5. Drizzle the top with melted chocolate and top with a couple of almond slices. To set the chocolate, place the macaroons in the fridge for 15 minutes.

6. Store the macaroons in an air tight container in the fridge. Let them come to room temperature before serving.