Pop's Macaroons

For as long as I can remember, my dad has loved macaroons. He also loves dark chocolate and stays away from baked goods that are too sweet. This recipe is made just for him! Unlike many other macaroon recipes, I've used unsweetened coconut flakes; the sweetened flakes often take away from the coconut flavor.

Ingredients:
4 egg whites
1 cup white cane sugar
5 cups unsweeted coconut flakes
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Once you have separated the eggs, add vanilla and a pinch of salt to your whites. Begin whipping them with your electric mixer on high. Add the sugar slowly, in three to four batches, until the whites become stiff. (This part is delightfully fun!). Using a spatula, gently fold in the coconut and the chocolate chips until the batter is consistent.

Use an ice cream scooper to ladle out the batter onto your lined cookie sheet. I use aluminum foil, but you may consider parchment paper. Because the liner doesn't get greased for macaroons, they can be tricky to remove, and the parchment paper might make that process easier for you. Bake for 12-14 minutes, and then immediately use a sharp spatula to remove the macaroons from the sheet. Let them cool, then store them in an airtight container. I'll freeze some from this batch and let you know how that works, too!