Ingredients

The following ingredients have 12 Servings
  • 14 oz sweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 cup sweetened condensed milk*
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 oz chocolate, optional
  • 1/2 teaspoon vegetable shortening, optional

Instruction

  • Place a rack in the top third of the oven and another in the bottom third. Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat liners.
  • In a large bowl, stir together the coconut, condensed milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
  • In another bowl, beat the egg whites with the salt until stiff peaks form.
  • Add the egg whites to the coconut mixture and gently fold them into the mixture.
  • Using a retractable cookie scoop**, drop the batter onto the baking sheets – you should get 12 cookies for each baking sheet.
  • Dip a small spatula in water and gently press all of the bits of coconut along the baking sheet into the cookie ball. This is to prevent any pieces hanging out and burning. It also helps if you are dipping the cookies in chocolate.
  • Place both cookie sheets in the oven and bake until golden brown, 25-30 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through the baking time.
  • Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool completely.
  • If dipping in chocolate, combine the chocolate and the shortening and melt in a double boiler or on low power in the microwave. Dip the bottoms of the cookies in the chocolate, scraping any excess off the bottom on the side of the bowl. Return to the baking sheet and allow the chocolate to set up completely. To make this go a little faster, you can put the baking sheet with the cookies in the freezer for 5-10 minutes.