Recipe Time #13: Simple Chocolate-Dipped Macaroons

A quick and easy baked goodie that even I can handle - they are great as last-minute homemade gifts or potluck contributions.

Ingredients (makes about 30 bite-sized macaroons)

2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
3 egg whites
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
6-8 oz. good quality bittersweet chocolate
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar (optional for stabilizing egg whites)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350F; line a cookie sheet with parchment paper
2. Combine egg whites, sugar and the two extracts - beat until soft peaks
3. Put about two teaspoon of flaked coconut in your hand, lightly dip in egg white and roll into a ball. Place on parchment paper and repeat (make sure they are at least 3/4-inch apart), the egg whites may need to be re-beaten, depending on how fast you can make the rest of the macaroons (alternatively, you can stabilize it with a bit of cream of tartar)
4. Put in oven and bake until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Bring out, let cool and gently pop them from the parchment paper with your fingers or a spatula.
5. While macaroons are cooling, melt down the bittersweet chocolate on a double boiler (or an improvised one like me, a glass bowl over a saucepan of boiling water).
6. After chocolate is melted, dip the macaroons in (I prefer the half-dipped look but if you are a chocoholic who don't mind messy fingers feel free to dunk the whole thing in) - set back on parchment papered cookie sheet.
7. After all the macaroons are dipped, place the sheet in the fridge for the chocolate to harden again. Serve, store and enjoy!