Ingredients

• 1 cup cream of coconut (sweetened cream of coconut, not coconut milk)
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 4 large egg whites
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups unsweetened shredded desiccated coconut
• 3 cups sweetened flaked coconut (about 8 ounces)
• 10 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (optional)

Instructions

1. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and lightly spray parchment with nonstick vegetable cooking spray.

2. Whisk together cream of coconut, corn syrup, egg whites, vanilla, and salt in small bowl; set aside. Combine unsweetened and sweetened coconuts in large bowl; toss together, breaking up clumps with fingertips. Pour liquid ingredients into coconut and mix with rubber spatula until evenly moistened. Chill dough for 15 minutes.

3. Drop heaping tablespoons of batter onto parchment-lined cookie sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Form cookies into loose haystacks with fingertips, moistening hands with water as necessary to prevent sticking. Bake until light golden brown, about 15 minutes, turning cookie sheets from front to back and switching from top to bottom racks halfway through baking.

4. Cool cookies on cookie sheets until slightly set, about 2 minutes; remove to wire rack with metal spatula.

5. Chocolate-dipped:.

6. Cool cookies to room temperature on wire rack, about 30 minutes.

7. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Melt 8 ounces chocolate in small heatproof bowl set over pan of almost-simmering water, stirring once or twice, until smooth. (To melt chocolate in microwave, heat at 50 percent power for 3 minutes and stir. If chocolate is not yet entirely melted, heat an additional 30 seconds at 50 percent power.) Remove from heat; stir in remaining 2 ounces chocolate until smooth. Holding macaroon by pointed top, dip bottom and ½ inch up sides of each cookie in chocolate, scrape off excess with finger and place on cookie sheet. Refrigerate until chocolate sets, about 15 minutes.