Almond Joy Macaroons

Ingredients:

• 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 14 oz bag sweetened shredded coconut
• 2 large egg whites
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 24 raw almonds
• 9 oz semisweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate baking melts

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk with the vanilla. Add the coconut, mix well and set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and salt until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the eggs into the coconut mixture until evenly distributed.
4. Form balls with about 2 tsp of batter each, or use a small ice cream scoop to portion out the balls. Place on the prepared baking sheets about 1" apart and bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Allow cookies to cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Melt the chocolate in the microwave in a small bowl in 30 second intervals, stirring well between each interval, until completely melted. Dip the bottoms of each macaroon into the chocolate and transfer back to the lined baking sheets. Place an almond atop each cookie, and drizzle remaining chocolate over the tops of each cookie either with a spoon or with the chocolate in a piping bag (or ziploc bag with the corner snipped off). Allow the chocolate to set completely before serving.