Coconut Macaroons Dipped in Chocolate

The only bad thing about making 12 quarts of ice cream is the remaining 29 egg whites.  So what do you do with 29 egg whites?  Well for one thing, David Lebovitz' recipe for Coconut and Chocolate Macaroons rocks!

The only changes I make to the recipe are:
1) reduce the sugar to 1 cup (1 1/4 cup is a little too sweet for me) and
2) instead of using my fingers to make the little mounds, I use a small ice cream scoop.  Very quick, non-messy and makes for uniform macaroons.

Coconut Macaroons Dipped in Chocolate
adapted from Ready for Dessert: My Best Recipes by David Lebovitz

Makes approx. 30 cookies

In a large skillet, mix together:

4 large egg whites

1 cup sugar (200g)

2 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut (213g)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour (33g)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon honey (22g)

Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom as you stir.  

Once the bottom starts to scorch, remove from heat and stir in:

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Transfer mixture to a bowl.  Let cool to room temperature.  You can keep refrigerated for up to a week or freeze for up to two months.  When ready to bake, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat mat. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Using a 1 1/2" diameter ice cream scoop, scoop dough and place 1" apart on baking sheet.  Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown.  Remove from oven; slide parchment paper or Silpat onto a cooling rack and let cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, melt in a small saucepan over low heat:

2 oz bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (57g) 

Dip bottoms of macaroons in melted chocolate and place back on parchment paper or Silpat.  Refrigerate for 5-10 minutes to set the chocolate.