Dark Chocolate-Covered Coconut Macaroons

GLUTEN-FREE | GRAIN-FREE | DAIRY-FREE

These delicious bites are light, airy, and full of coconut flavor. Making macaroons is a good way to use egg whites you may have leftover from another recipe. If you're starting with whole eggs, save the yolks for a custard, mayonnaise, or Béarnaise sauce.

Besides the egg whites, you'll need just a few other ingredients: coconut, honey, sea salt, and dark chocolate. There are a few steps involved, but none are difficult and the results are rewarding. 

Ingredients:

• 5 egg whites
• 1½ cups finely shredded dried coconut
• 3 tablespoons raw honey
• Pinch sea salt
• 3.5 ounces 72% to 85% dark chocolate

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 300F. 
2. Add the egg whites, honey, and salt to a large mixing bowl and beat them (by hand or with an immersion blender) until they are light are fluffy.
3. Gently fold in about 2/3 of the coconut and allow it to stand for a minute or two. The coconut will absorb some of the moisture and the mixture will thicken. Fold the mixture again, and if there is enough moisture to hold more coconut, stir in some more. Don't add too much coconut or the macaroons will be dry.
4. Spoon the mixture into a silicone mini-muffin pan (12 cups) and divide it evenly, piling any excess on top if necessary.
5. Bake the macaroons just until they start to brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.
6. Remove the pan from the oven, transfer it to a heat-proof surface, and allow the macaroons to cool completely.
7. While the macaroons cool, melt the chocolate in a stainless steel or glass bowl set atop a pan of gently simmering water. As soon as it has melted, turn off the heat and transfer the bowl to a heat-resistant surface like a trivet or wooden cutting board.
8. Once the macaroons are cool, use a clean knife to loosen the cakes from the sides of the cups and transfer them to a plate.
9. Drizzle the melted dark chocolate on top of each macaroon and transfer them to the fridge to set. If you won't be eating them within a few hours, store them in an air-tight container.
10. To serve, take them out of the fridge at least 30 minutes in advance and transfer them to a serving plate right away, handling them as little as possible.