chocolate coconut crinkles

My life is suddenly coming into focus after being introduced to the Ghiradelli Coconut Rendezvous Bar.  My sweet friend, Elyse sent a box with my favorite dark chocolate salted caramel squares but threw in two of the  coconut bars as a bonus. Chocolate has to be one of the most fulfilling gifts to receive.  Am I right? Oh man, I have a new favorite.  I think it's the simplicity of milk chocolate and coconut.  It's also that nice toasted coconut crunch.  I cannot believe I was living my life without chocolate with toasted coconut.  It was definitely not a fulfilled life...

I'm exaggerating a little bit of course, but not when I express my love for this combination.  Yesterday the girls and I made chocolate coconut crinkle cookies inspired of course by my new obsession with the Coconut Rendezvous Bar and adapted from a macaroon recipe I had.

Do yourself a favor and go out and buy a bar of this magic life changing chocolate and when you've scarfed the entire thing down while watching just one 45minute episode of Friday Night Lights (oops!) and you still wish you had more chocolate coconut to rendezvous with...make these cookies.

Chocolate Coconut Crinkles
3 egg whites
pinch of salt
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
2 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
1 tsp vanilla extract


Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and let it cool to room temperature.  Using a mixer whip the egg whites until foamy.  Add the pinch of salt and the sugar slowly and continue to whip on high until medium glossy peaks form. Add the vanilla and combine. Fold in the chocolate and coconut.  

 Drop the dough on a greased cookie sheet or Silpat and bake in a 325 degree oven for 12 minutes.  Let the cookies cool on the sheet for a few minutes then place the cookie sheet in the freezer for a few minutes so the cookies will easily come off the pan and not crumble.  I highly recommend keeping the cookies in the refrigerator because they are super yummy cold.  The lack of butter or flour makes them as light as a macaroon and deliciously snackable.  Melt in your mouth delicious.

I'll definitely be making these again because I don't have to worry about having butter (which we often have to go without) or adding baking powder or flour and getting them to rise.  It's kind of the perfect cookie for third world, high altitude baking!  Plus the girls had fun "helping" (licking and sampling) and gave them a thumbs up for snack the next day.  Gosh, it must be summer camp if I'm packing chocolate cookies for snack!