Dairy-Free Lemon Macaroons with White Chocolate

Why didn't I think of this before? Tart lemon is the PERFECT compliment for sweet coconut! It's a match made in macaroon heaven! And these gems are dairy-free, gluten-free and ridiculously awesome.

These are truly remarkable. They're chewy on the inside and toasty on the outside, and they have the most perfect ratio of sweet to tart. And talk about easy! You need just one bowl!

And look what I did here - I drizzled dark chocolate on some of the macaroons! You can't go wrong with white or dark chocolate, so pick one or pick both!

Dairy-Free Lemon Macaroons with White Chocolate
Note: For really lemony macaroons, use 1 1/2-2 tablespoons of lemon zest.

3 1/2 cups finely shredded coconut
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup egg whites
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup white or dark chocolate chips or melting wafers (or 1/4 cup each)
1 teaspoon vegetable shortening

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine the coconut, sugar and lemon zest. Mix until well blended. Add the egg whites, lemon juice and vanilla and mix until well combined.
Using a cookie scoop (or your hands), form the mixture into mounds (each about 1 tablespoon) and transfer the mounds to the prepared pans (if the mixture is sticking to your hands, use water-moistened hands for shaping the macaroons into mounds).
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the peaks of the cookies are light golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Melt the chocolate and shortening together in a small saucepan over low heat, or in the microwave, checking and stirring every 20 seconds (if you're using both white and dark chocolate, use 1/2 teaspoon shortening with each one). 
Using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, spread the chocolate on the bottom of each macaroon and return to the parchment paper. Use a fork to drizzle the top of the macaroons with the remaining chocolate. Cool until the chocolate is set (refrigerating will speed up this process).
Makes 18 macaroons