Enjoy these coconut macaroons without condensed milk made from scratch. They have the famous chewy texture, and are full of coconut flavor without having to use sweetened condensed milk! What's even better is that each coconut macaroon has a chocolate-coated bottom, making them taste like your favorite candy bar!
Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a standing mixer, whisk egg whites, sugar, vanilla and salt on high speed until thick and opaque white (about 1 minute).
Use a spatula to fold the coconut and flour into the egg white mixture.
Use a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop or a rounded spoon to drop compact balls onto prepared baking sheets.
Bake approximately 25 minutes, rotating the pans during baking, until cookies are golden brown.
After 1-2 minutes, transfer cookies to a cooling rack and cool completely.
In the top of a double boiler, melt chocolate chips and shortening until smooth and fully melted.
Transfer melted chocolate to a shallow bowl if needed to make it easier to dip. Dip the bottom of each cooled macaroon into the chocolate, just enough to coat the bottom and up the sides a bit. Allow the excess chocolate to drip off the bottom. Place dipped cookie on a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet.
Allow the chocolate to set (place baking sheet in the fridge for a few minutes to help it set more quickly.)
Notes
Storage:
Store macaroons in an airtight container on the countertop for 4-5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.Notes:If you do not have a double boiler, you can melt the chocolate in a glass or metal bowl placed over a pan of simmering water. Or you can simply microwave the chocolate and shortening in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until fully melted.Room temperature egg whites create more volume when whisked. I like to use room temperature eggs for this recipe, though I’m not sure it makes any noticeable difference.Macaroons can be made gluten-free by simply omitting the flour completely. The flour adds just a hint of chew that I prefer, but the macaroons are almost the same in both taste and texture without the flour.