Chocolate-Dipped Macaroons

I'm reading "The Sweet Life in Paris" by David Lebovitz, and have become a tad obsessed. His tales of bribing convincing less-than-helpful French visa clerks with his decadent, homemade desserts has filled my dreams with visions of dark chocolate and Parisian société.

One of the recipes that has popped up in my near-stalking of his works is chocolate-dipped macaroons.  Not to be confused with macarons: the delicate, filling-enhanced merengues made legend by Paris' Ladurée.  No, these are the rustic cousins that require much less precision to make, and definitely less aloof attitude to enjoy.

And enjoy we have.

Funny thing...I recall distinctly disliking shredded coconut as a child.  I think my parents didn't care for it, and that opinion was somehow passed along to me.  Fast forward thirty years to a small get-together at some friends' where I enjoyed one of the giddiest, most-blissful little bouts of "the munchies," and what was served - none other than coconut macaroons!

Nothing tasted better.

Please tell me you know what I mean. :D

So, yeah.  Since then, coconut and I have had a renewed relationship.

Chocolate-Dipped Macaroons

recipe adapted from David Lebovitz

Makes about two dozen cookies

Ingredients

• 4 large egg whites
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 2 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix together eggs, sugar, salt, honey, coconut and flour
2. Transfer to a large skillet, and heat over low-to-moderate heat on the stovetop, stirring constantly, scraping the bottom as you stir.
3. When the mixture just begins to scorch at the bottom, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.  Transfer to a bowl, and allow to cool to room temperature. *David notes this mixture can be left in the refrigerator for up to one week, or frozen up to two months.
4. When ready to bake, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat, and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
5. Form the dough into 1 1/2 inch mounds, spacing them evenly on the baking sheet. (I used a small ice cream scoop - mine were a little larger, but it was OK)
6. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until deep golden brown.  Cool completely.

For the chocolate bottoms

1. Melt the chocolate in a clean, dry bowl - either by double boiler on the stove, or in the micro.  Place a baker's cooling rack over a cookie sheet.  Dip the bottoms of each cookie in the chocolate and set the cookies on the cooling rack.  When finished dipping all the cookies, place them in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes to set the chocolate.