Chocolate Macaroons

If you love chocolate and coconut you will want to run to the kitchen and bake up these little mounds of goodness. Have the coffee ready when they are still just a wee bit warm....bet you can't just eat one.

Ingredients: (yields 16 large or 24 small macaroons)

• 1/2 cup good quality chocolate, chopped fine
• whites from 3 large eggs (save the yolks for an omelet) 
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa, sifted
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 cups sweetened fine coconut

Method: 

1. Place chopped chocolate in a small metal bowl or top of double boiler. 
2. Place over a pot of simmering water and allow chocolate to melt. Stir several times while it is melting. Once it is completely melted remove from heat and set aside.
3. Place egg whites and vanilla in a medium sized bowl and whisk until slightly frothy.
4. Sift sugar, cocoa, espresso powder and salt into bowl of whisked egg whites.
5. Whisk well to incorporate the dry ingredients into the egg whites.
6. Whisk in the warm melted chocolate until mixture is smooth.
7. With a spatula stir in the coconut. 
8. Using an ice cream scoop place large mounds of mixture onto parchment lined cookie sheets. 
9. Place cookie sheets with macaroons in the fridge for 1/2 hour-1 hour. This will insure that they don't spread out during baking. 
10. Bake in preheated 325º oven for 13-15 minutes. Macaroons will be shiny on the outside and still very soft when touched lightly. They will seem under baked, but they are done.
11. Cool on pans and then remove to plate or an air tight container to store.