Ever had a Bounty Bar? If you are a coconut lover, I sure hope you have!  Mounds bars and Almond Joy are ok in a pinch, but if you are a serious coconut lover, search out a Bounty Bar! It’s an English candy bar, so it is often found at stores like Cost Plus World Market, English specialty stores and grocery stores with a well developed International Foods section—I’ve seen them at larger Safeway’s. Recently, I found them hiding out at Indian grocery stores.

Ok, have you found one yet? Good! Now that you’ve tasted a Bounty Bar, you’ll understand the appeal of these coconut macaroons; you’ll know the joy of a creamy coconut filling with some seriously good milk chocolate. And I know you’ll want to make these, because you’ve realized that if you continue to pay exorbitant US prices for a UK Bounty Bar, you are going to go broke rather quickly! And, I know that you want to share the joy!

Recently I have started forming my macaroons like this, like an actual cookie, with the chocolate in the center. I set this plate out for my girl scout troop, along with a batch of peanut butter cookies and some watermelon. I was shocked, and pleased, to find that 13 year old girls gobbled these up.

I found the original recipe at The Brown Eyed Baker—one of my favorite recipe websites—who adapted the recipe from a combination of Joy of Cooking and Baking Illustrated recipes. I borrowed her picture, too (see below). The picture on the front is my ugly one.

The Brown Eyed Baker said this recipe yields about 3 dozen cookies—I have no idea how she got that many. I got 16.

Milk Chocolate Coconut Macaroons

INGREDIENTS

For the Macaroons

• 2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1 large egg white (30 grams, or just short of 2 Tablespoons)
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3½ cups sweetened flaked coconut (250 grams)

For the Chocolate Dipping & Drizzling

• 1 large 4 oz. chocolate bar, chopped—honestly, you can choose any type of chocolate, milk, dark, semi-sweet; I just happen to prefer the milk chocolate.

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 325° and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the sweetened condensed milk, egg white, vanilla and salt until combined.
3. Stir in the coconut until well blended.
4. With a small scoop, drop the dough by tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto the cookie sheets.
5. Bake, one sheet at a time, until the cookies are light golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets until slightly set, about 2 minutes; remove to a wire rack with a wide metal spatula.
7. Melt the chopped chocolate in the microwave on 50% power for 2 to 3 minutes, stiring well.
8. Dip the bottoms of the macaroon in the melted chocolate, scraping off the excess chocolate. Place the macaroons on wax or parchment paper covered plate.
9. Drizzle remaining chocolate over the tops of the macaroons.
10. Refrigerate the macaroons until the chocolate sets, about 15 minutes.

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen today!  Please leave me a comment, I’d love to know that you were here!

By the way, I am in search of a different coconut cookie recipe. This has about as much coconut in it as a macaroon, but it’s a flat cookie. It’s like a chocolate chip cookie, but with lots of coconut and no chocolate chips. Santa Cruz Baking Company used to make one-a delicious one that torments me in my dreams– but they no longer sell them and I can’t find a similar recipes anywhere. If you have one, please send it my way. Just writing this has given me inspiration though. Maybe I should just make a chocolate chip cookie dough, leave out the chips, and add in, what is it, 3 1/2 cups of coconut?