My husband and I, well, we like to eat treats. We have our normal picks, but we’ve been trying to come up with a few more that are still delish, but a little bit faster to throw together, especially since it feels like we are constantly busy as of late.
But even with a simple treat, we gotta keep it interesting. And thus when brainstorming the other day, these Chocolate Dipped Almond Macaroons were born.
Straight up coconut-y toasted crunchy goodness is yum. But Ben threw out the idea, “Why don’t we replace part of the coconut with coarse-ground toasted almonds?” yes….Yes…..YES.
Unless you just happen to have coarse-ground toasted almonds hanging out in your cupboard (we actually do sometimes), it will take a little longer from start to finish, just because they need to cool a little bit after toasting. But we just threw the almonds into the oven at the same time as we were toasting up the coconut flakes. It really wasn’t that much more work. And of course, just make extra for your next batch the next day….(ahem) time.
With the weather starting to lighten up and Spring right around the corner, these are a fun and fast treat that the whole crew will enjoy.
Chocolate Dipped Almond Macaroons
Ingredients
- 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut flakes lightly toasted
- 2/3 cup coarsely-ground toasted almonds
- 3 egg whites
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon almond extract optional
- dash of salt
- 1/2 cup dark or milk chocolate chips optional
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
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Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper
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If you still need to prep the coconut and almonds: Get two large baking sheets. Spread coconut out on one and whole raw almonds on another.
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Place in the oven for 5 minutes. Check and stir both at 5 minutes.
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Check coconut every minute after until just starting to brown, tossing lightly each minute (I usually go about additional minutes after the first stir, but each oven is a little different). Be careful not to burn. The color changes quickly!
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Leave almonds in for another 5 minutes (10 minutes total), or until fragrant. Remove almonds and place in cool container to stand until mostly cooled (sometimes I throw them in the fridge or freezer so they will cool faster).
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Blend almonds in a food processor until they resemble very coarse crumbs.
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In a medium mixing bowl, combine egg whites, sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract and dash of salt.
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Whisk for about 30 seconds or until frothy.
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Add toasted coconut and almonds and stir until well-combined and evenly coated.
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With wet hands (to prevent sticking), form about twelve 1 1/2 inch balls and place on parchment-lined baking sheet
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Bake for about 15-18 minutes, or until macaroons are firm and toasty on the outside.
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Remove from oven and let cool in place.
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While macaroons are cooling, place chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and at half power in 30 second increments, stirring often, until melted.
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Dip half of the macaroon into chocolate and return to parchment-lined sheet to allow chocolate to set. Repeat. Speed up the process by placing macaroons in fridge or freezer so chocolate will set faster.
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Eat 'em up! They are so good!
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I really love the way these look!
Thank you Marye!