Chocolate-dipped coconut macaroons

Hosting a farewell party involving finger food and desserts led me on a merry hunt for new recipes to try. I remembered that David really enjoyed my mom's macaroon cookies in Vancouver, so I thought I'd see what I could do. This recipe looked particularly interesting, as coconut and chocolate make for a winning combination, and there is a certain decadence to chocolate-dipped desserts that seemed appealing for presenting to our guests. Furthermore, the recipe noted that these could be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to 2 days, which alleviated day-of-party-baking logistics considerably.  

Recipe

 from Bon Appétit DessertsMakes about 1-1/2 dozen 5 cups sweetened flaked coconut, divided1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise2 large egg whites1/4 tsp salt1 tbsp sugar8 oz (about) bittersweet or semisweet chocolatePosition rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 F. Sprinkle 2 cups coconut evenly over large rimmed baking sheet. Toast in oven until golden, stirring occasionally and watching closely to avoid over browning, about 12 minutes. Cool slightly. Maintain oven temperature.Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Pour sweetened condensed milk into large bowl. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into milk. Stir in toasted coconut and remaining 3 cups untoasted coconut. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt in another bowl until frothy. Add sugar and beat until soft peaks form. Carefully fold whites into coconut mixture. Using about 3 tbsp coconut mixture per cookie, form into 2" diameter mounds on prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2" apart. Bake until macaroons are golden brown on bottom, about 14 minutes. Transfer macaroons to rack; cool completely.Line large baking sheet with waxed paper. Melt chocolate in heavy small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Dip bottoms of macaroons into melted chocolate and transfer to prepared baking sheet, chocolate side down. Freeze until chocolate sets, about 5 minutes. Pull macaroons from waxed paper.

Musings

A few notes on preparation: I used seeds from a full vanilla bean instead of half of one (I didn't notice that it said 1/2 a bean). Also, 3 tbsp seemed like a lot per cookie, so I ended up using very generous tablespoonfuls.I was a bit concerned when making it, as the coconut-condensed milk-egg white mixture didn't resemble anything like traditional cookie dough. Mind you, I'd never really had macaroons and had no idea what to expect of the texture. However, upon baking, they swelled nicely. David declared the final product to be delicious...chewy and sweet.