Baking, chocolate, Cookies, Desserts, gluten-free

Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons

by Lynda Balslev

coconut macaron tastefood

~ Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons ~

The bane of my childhood candy experience was a Mounds Bar. I just didn’t get it. I would bite into the promising chocolate nugget, which would immediately give way to a chewy, shredded, nutty interior, that in, my opinion, had no rightful place in a chocolate bar. It was clearly the texture that I did not like. I was mystified by my friends who bought super-sized packages of Almond Joys to scarf down when we were at the movies. Every halloween when my brothers and I would pile our loot in the middle of the kitchen table, gloating and eyeing trade-ups, my chocolate covered coconut bars were the first to offer up with no regrets. Sadly, my brothers were not so keen on coconut either, so the negotiating could get ugly.

As a parent, it baffled me that my children loved coconut. But as chief cookie baker, I stepped up to the plate and used coconut more and more freely in bars, cakes, and cookies. And, you know what? I, too, developed a fondness for this tropical “nut”, appreciating its flaky fresh and nutty interruption in a sea of sugar. I guess you could say I grew up.

I eat coconut now, unforced, and prefer it paired with dark chocolate. Sometimes I make macaroons, a jumble of coconut bound together with egg white and condensed milk. Yes, the milk is icky-sweet, but it seems to yield the best  juicy soft interior, which is what prevents dryness and distinguishes a great macaroon. I’ve followed a recipe from Ina Garten from time to time, but switch out some of the sweetened coconut with unsweetened, which I find reduces excessiveness cloyness. Oh, and I always dunk them in dark chocolate, of course – which has a magnificent grounding effect on, well, everything.

Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons
Makes about 24

14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
8 ounces sweetened shredded coconut
6 ounces unsweetened shredded coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large egg whites, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 ounces dark (70%) chocolate, melted

Heat the oven to 350°F (180° C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the milk, coconut, and vanilla in a large bowl and stir to blend.
Beat the egg whites and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer until soft peaks form and then fold into the coconut.

Drop heaping tablespoon-sized mounds of coconut on the baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove and cool completely on a rack. Dip one half of each macaroon in the melted chocolate and transfer to a board or platter lined with parchment. Refrigerate until set.

19 thoughts on “Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons”

  9. I hated coconut as a kid – the love affair so many of my friends had with it completely mystified me too. I’m slowly coming around and now love the flavor. Now I need to take on the texture!

  10. I loved mounds and almond joys growing up and chocolate dipped coconut macaroons are one of my favorites. 🙂 Your photos make me wish I had one of your macaroons to have with my tea.

  11. I’ve always loved Mounds, but I’ll bet they don’t hold a candle to these scrumptious-looking treats! Just in time for Passover, too 🙂

  12. I always went for the Almond Joy! I imagine adding an almond on top of your scrumptious Macaroons would meet your approval! A nostalgic and indulgent post!

  14. Coconut and chocolate says Easter to me. These would be great for next week.

  17. Woow. They look delicious and the combination of chocolate and coconut makes my mouth water. The only problem is I’ll never be able to imitate the impeccable shape of your macaroons. So hopefully my tutor will help me if something goes wrong. To put it more precisely, my husband gave me a special gift on this year’s Valentine’s Day – he booked a cooking class organized by Zac’s cooking school in our native Vancouver called – cooking classes for couples so we’re now collecting interesting recipes to come up with during that course and this one will definitely be part of our list. 🙂

    1. Just clicked on your link. Couldn’t help but notice “Vancouver” (my eye has a built in sensor for it #proudtobeacanuck) Checking it out now. Have you been to The Dirty Apron for any classes?

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