Coconut macaroons: a symphony of textures

1. Spread approximately half of the coconut on a baking sheet and place it in a 350°-oven for 8-10 minutes. Stir every 2 minutes, being careful not to burn the coconut. Remove from oven when it begins to turn lightly golden.

2. In a large bowl, combine all of the coconut, toasted and plain, with the condensed milk, coconut cream, salt and vanilla extract.

3. Beat the egg white with an electric mixer until it forms firm peaks. Fold the whipped egg gently into the coconut mixture.

4. For each coconut macaroon, drop approximately 2 teaspoons of batter into a parchment-lined cookie sheet.

5. Bake at 325° for about 25 minutes or until the cookies are golden and set. Cool slightly before removing from cookie sheet.

6. If desired, drizzle the top of each cookie with melted chocolate.