dipped in chocolate is good

Hello everyone! That was a nice break. I got back from New York last Friday, but have just been feeling quiet since then. Actually, I've been busy, lots and lots of crafting going on here, but I'll show you later this week...

For now, a recipe (what else?!). Tomorrow is the last day of Passover, by far my favorite holiday. There are many reasons why I love this celebration...the values that it instills to welcome the stranger and fight against oppression, the obvious application of the story to modern day social justice causes, and of course, the food. Most Jewish holidays have specific foods associated with them, often with strong symbolism. For example, charoset (a mixture of chopped apples, walnuts, cinnamon, and red wine) is supposed to represent the mortar that the Israelite slaves used to build the pyramids in Egypt. For Hanukkah, we eat fried foods, such as potato pancakes, to remember the oil that was only supposed to last one night, but instead, by miracle, lasted eight. As I write this, I realize that the recipe I'm sharing today has no symbolism that I'm aware of. But it is damn good.

Macaroons. It's possible that this recipe might be the first non-vegan recipe that I've published here. A few years ago, when I lived in Berkeley with the aforementioned tiny kitchen, I decided to host a Passover seder. My parents flew out from New York, Jared was there, my brother, cousins and aunt, along with about eight other friends of mine all joined in. I borrowed tables, chairs, plates, bowls and silverware from my friend's uncle. We moved our large plants (we had a lot) and some of our furniture out of our living room (where the meal was to be held) and onto the balcony outside the apartment. I compiled, printed, and bound my own version of the Hagaddah.

This was a big deal for me. It was the first major holiday that I was hosting, and it was the second time that my parents were meeting Jared (the first was shortly after we started dating, so this seemed more important). I spent weeks preparing. Planning the menu, researching recipes at the library, and testing out new dishes. My parents were semi-appalled that I planned to have a vegetarian (and mostly vegan) seder, but I was determined. Macaroons were always a cookie that my mom had made from scratch, but many people had only had the kind from a can (which are good- in their own, weird, canned, way). It's quite a simple recipe, really, and I was convinced that I could make it vegan, as I had done with a few others already. Twice, I attempted to use agar agar as an egg white replacer, with disappointing results. As I was about to attempt it a third time, Jared told me that he hates coconut. Oh. Well, then screw the experiments. This recipe is one that I'm just going to leave alone and enjoy the way it is. Some things are just not meant to be messed with (though I'll admit that the part of me that loves a challenge is still dying to figure out how to make these vegan, even if Jared won't ever eat them).

A note: instead of dipping these in chocolate, my mom always mixes 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips into the batter. I like that, but never remember to buy mini chips, and regular sized ones are just too big for the batter to hold together around them. And, after dipping them in chocolate this time, I don't think I'll ever go back.

Chocolate Dipped Macaroons

Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
3 small egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (for melting)

Preheat your oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine all ingredients (except chocolate chips) in a bowl. Drop by 1 1/2 teaspoonfuls onto the cookie sheet. They will not expand, so you can put them pretty close together. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the tips begin to brown. Cool before removing from the pan. While the macaroons are cooling, melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Once they are cool, dip the tops in the chocolate and set aside to allow the chocolate to harden. The macaroons will stay chewy with a crispy outer layer for a few days. Enjoy!