Recipe: Chocolate-Almond Macaroons

Read more in “Marvelous Macaroons”

These scrumptious confections are so reminiscent of Almond Joy candy bars that Danny Cohen (of Danny Macaroon) introduces them with a paraphrase of the old jingle for the chocolates (“Sometimes you feel like a nut…"). 

Makes 24 two-inch macaroons

Photo courtesy Danny Macaroon

Cook's Note: 
To toast the almonds, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and place into a preheated 350°F oven for 25 minutes or until the almonds take on deeper coloring and become fragrant, giving them a shake and stir halfway through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. 

Ingredients

• One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• One 14-ounce bag sweetened shredded coconut
• 2 large egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 24 whole almonds, plus 1/3 cup almonds, toasted (see note) and coarsely chopped
• 4 ounces chocolate of your choice, coarsely chopped into pieces the size of a quarter

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. In an extra-large bowl, measure out 10½ ounces by weight of the condensed milk. If you don’t have a scale, use approximately 8 ounces (1 cup) by liquid measure. Add the vanilla and incorporate with a rubber spatula. Add the coconut and combine until thoroughly mixed.
3. Add the egg whites and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer (or small bowl if you’re using a hand beater) and whip on medium-high until very stiff peaks form, 2½ to 3 minutes. 
4. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture. After it’s combined, push the mixture into one big blob to make it easier for you to portion out the macaroons.
5. Dip 2 spoons into a small bowl of water, shake them off, form the mixture into balls approximately 1½ inches in diameter, and place them on the baking sheet about 1 inch apart. (You can also form them by hand, but be sure to wet your fingers frequently.)
6. When you’ve got the macaroons all out on the sheet, gently press a whole almond into the top of each macaroon. Place the sheet into the oven to bake for 20 to 25 minutes. After about 22 minutes, start checking for coloring. Look for an even, light golden color and for the undersides to be nicely tanned. The almonds will be a little bit darker but they should not be burnt.
7. Remove from the oven and let the sheet rest on a cooling rack, leaving the macaroons on the sheet until they’re cool enough for you to pull off (about 2 minutes depending on how sensitive your fingers are). Transfer the macaroons to the cooling rack to let cool completely.
8. When the macaroons are cool, place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir thoroughly, then continue to microwave in 20-second increments until all the chocolate is melted and the chocolate feels quite warm (but not hot) when you touch it to your lip. (If you don't have a microwave, melt chocolate in a double boiler.) Then spoon or drizzle the chocolate on top of each of the macaroons. Alternatively, you can dip the tops or the sides of each macaroon in chocolate. Or the bottoms. Or stick a skewer into each macaroon and completely cloak it. Knock yourself out. Sprinkle with the chopped almonds.
9. Place back on the cooling sheet and wait for the chocolate to set, or place the macaroons in the fridge for 15 to 30 minutes to greatly speed up the process.
10. The macaroons will keep uncovered for 3 to 5 days, for about 3 weeks in an airtight container in the fridge, and for a few months if stored in an airtight container in the freezer.