Chocolate Bottom Coconut Macaroons

I hadn't had coconut macaroons since becoming vegan, so I was pretty excited to discover this recipe in Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar.

I think the key to successful coconut macaroons is to use plenty of coconut extract, as well as shredded coconut, so I deviated from the original recipe a bit.

3oz silken tofu

5 tbsp canola oil

2 tbsp soy milk (or other non-dairy milk)

½ cup sugar

2 tsp coconut extract

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

¾ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

1 ½ cups shredded coconut

½ cup chocolate chips

Heat your oven to 350 degrees and grease two baking sheets. You will also need two sheets of baking paper, which you should set aside before beginning. In a food processor or blender, zap the silken tofu, oil, milk and flavoring extracts until smooth (I use a Cuisinart). Next, sift the sugar, flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl, then slowly fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients using a spatula.

Using a 2oz scoop or a serving spoon, make balls of dough and drop them 2 inches apart onto your baking sheet. There is no need to flatten them down; they should retain their domed shape. Bake for 14 minutes until some of the coconut flakes start to become very slightly golden.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips in a pan over a flow flame or in a double boiler. Once the macaroons are cool enough to handle, gently pick them up and dip the bottoms in the melted chocolate. Place them chocolatey-side down on the baking paper and transfer to the refrigerator to cool. This should take about 30 minutes. If it is warm, store the macaroons in a sealed container in the fridge to preserve freshness and prevent the chocolate from melting. Otherwise, store them as you would with any other cookie. Serve with tea!