Chocolate Coconut Macaroons

When I was in France, in a little medieval town in the Alsace region, it’s known to have this castle called Haut Koenigsberg that’s apparently the one of the few still furnished castles in France. (or something along those lines) Anyway, around this beautiful castle are old cobble stone streets with very German inspired buildings (it’s right by the border) and there was this tantalizing smell coming from among the narrow streets. Following my nose, I searched for the source, and there it was. A store front window shaped like a half moon and in the store was a wood fire oven baking macaroons! Not traditional French pastry ones, but coconut macaroons! They were fresh from the oven and warm, soft and sweet. They had plain coconut, chocolate and orange flavoured ones, and I devoured them! They were soft and almost gooey and they were so mouth wateringly good. Best memory of having macaroons ever.

I guess these macaroons don’t beat the ones from France, but these are still pretty damn good. They’re chocolatey, moist and sweet and satisfy any chocolate craving I get!

Ingredients:

• 6 Egg White (3/4 Cup liquid egg whites)
• Pinch of Sea Salt
• 1/2 cup Agave Syrup
• 2 tsp Pure Vanilla
• 3 cups Unsweetened shredded coconut (coarse, not medium or fine)
• 1/4 cup Cocoa powder
• 1 melted dark chocolate bar
• 1/2 cup Sweet Rice Flour

1. Measure out the egg white (or be careful when you crack eggs and separate as any drop of the yellow will ruin it) and set your electric mixer to high and beat. Add salt as your beating it until soft peaks form. Add Vanilla and Agave syrup and keep on beating.

2. Keep beating the egg white mixture until it becomes very stiff. Stiff enough that it won’t move.

3. Add shredded coconut and fold it in.

4. Melt a dark chocolate bar with a little soy milk in the microwave or in a steel bowl over boiling water.

5. Add cocoa powder and chocolate and fold it in and add in the rice flour. Add more or less rice flour until it becomes a fairly thick batter.
 
6. Use an Ice Cream Scoop and place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for about 20 minutes.