Gluten-free chocolate macaroons

The little guy has been really into playing chef lately. He says he wants to be a cook when he grows up--a cook who makes "glooten cupcakes" for me and him, and "glooten-free cupcakes" for his friend and The H. He has even come up with a name for his future bakery. I love watching his imagination develop!

To encourage his kitchen creativity, I decided to find a recipe for the two of us to make this week. The newest issue of Clean Eating Magazine arrived just in time! I had no problem finding a cookie recipe that was simple to make, didn't require any new ingredients, and that would be easy for the little guy to help with. The finished cookies are sweet, lightly crisp with almost a brownie-like interior, and perfectly portioned. They're even tasty for breakfast...

Double Chocolate Macaroons
from Clean Eating Magazine, Vol. 4, Issue 9
makes 24 cookies

Ingredients
8oz dark chocolate (60% cocoa or greater), chopped, divided
1 3/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup organic evaporated cane juice
3 Tbsp natural unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch processed)
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup liquid egg whites (I used two large egg whites)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp pure almond extract

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350* and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt 3 ounces of the chocolate on high for 45 seconds. Stir and continue microwaving in short intervals, stirring often, until completely melted. Set aside to cool.

3. In a large bowl, stir together coconut, cane juice, cocoa powder, and salt until well blended. Stir in melted chocolate until just combined.

4. In a small bowl, whisk egg whites, vanilla, and almond extracts until combined. Add mixture to coconut mixture and stir until well blended.

5. Scoop 1-Tbsp portions and set on parchment-lined baking sheet. Pinch the tops of each into a low pyramid shape (I skipped this and went for rounded tops instead). Bake for 14-15 minutes or until outer layers are firm, bottom edges are lightly browned, and centers remain soft. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

This is where the little guy and I stopped--they were plenty sweet without the next step, and I didn't want to make any more mess of the kitchen than we already had. Feel free to proceed if you wish. Perhaps if I were making these for a party, I would have completed them as directed.

6. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the remaining 5 ounces of chocolate, stirring often. Carefully holding each macaroon upside down by its base, dip the peak into the melted chocolate. Place chocolate-side-up on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate until chocolate is set, about 30 minutes. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Nutrition info per cookie:
Calories - 119
Fat - 8g
Saturated fat - 6g
Carbs - 11g
Fiber - 2g
Sugars - 7g
Protein - 2g
Sodium - 20.5mg
Cholesterol - 0mg