One of my favorite tropical flavors is coconut, so I decided to make coconut rochers this week! They're a basic variation on the traditional coconut macaroon made a bit fancy with their pretty shape. They take less than an hour to prepare and are surprisingly simple to make. And, their crispy and lightly golden exterior and soft coconut center make them perfect for dipping in dark chocolate!

You'll need…
100 grams unsweetened coconut, finely shredded
65 grams sugar
50 grams egg whites, lightly whisked
1/2 vanilla bean, split length wise and scraped
a handful of dark or coating chocolate, melted {optional}

Here's how…
1. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, vanilla and coconut.
2. Pour in egg whites and mix until fully combined.
3. Divide into 10 portions and squeeze each into a small mass. Next, form each into a small pyramid.
4. Arrange on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 325˚F for 15 minutes or until the base and tip are golden brown. 
5. Let cool on a wire rack.
6. If dipping in dark chocolate, temper your chocolate and dip each base {learn more about tempering chocolate here}. Let dry on parchment paper. If dipping in coating chocolate, tempering is not necessary, just melt, dip and dry. For a milk chocolate alternative skip the last step and instead add a handful of finely chopped milk chocolate into the coconut mixture.

I like them best day of, but leftovers can be kept for up to 3 days. Enjoy!

—Nikole

{photos and styling by Nikole Herriott for Oh Joy}