Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons – What a Difference an “O” Makes

I've always found it amusing that macaroons, which are one of the easiest cookies ever, has the same name, give or take an "o," as the famously difficult macaron.

Even though they have the same origin, which the Italian word maccarone (also where we get macaroni), they couldn't be more different in texture, as well as the skill they require.

Since we did (and totally nailed) the hard one, I figured I should do the easy one, especially since I just got back from vacation, and something simple seemed like a really good idea. Speaking of easy, using sweetened condensed milk streamlines the operation, and produces a very nice texture, but if you can't find it, there are many macaroon recipes that use white, or powdered sugar, so don't let that slow you down.

Regarding the chocolate dip, you can just melt, and use any kind you like, but for that extra professional touch, I suggest tempering the chocolate before you dip. There are many complicated demos online, which involve heating and cooling the chocolates using very specific temperatures, and they work great, but I generally don't have the patience.

Instead, I use a shortcut method that involves chopping up some dark chocolate into the size of peas, melting 75% of it, and then stirring in the other 25%, until it melts. That should get you pretty close, and at the very least you'll have a firmer, snappier texture than if you just melted all the chocolate at once, and started dipping. Either way, I hope you give these easy coconut macaroons a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 24 Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons:

• 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 large egg white
• 3 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
• - Bake at 350 F. for 20 minutes, or until golden.