Coconut Macaroons

9 C. Shredded coconut
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 tsp. almond extract

Chocolate Ganache:
1 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips
6 Tbsp. heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the shredded coconut into a large bowl. Stir vanilla and almond extract into the condensed milk. Pour the condensed milk over the coconut and toss the coconut with your fingers until thoroughly coated.

Use a 1 1/4-inch scoop (I use the medium scoop from Pampered Chef) to mold the macaroons. Press the macaroon mixture firmly into the scoop, then turn it out onto a sheet pan.  If you don't have a scoop, I'm sure you can just make firmly packed balls with your hands.

Bake the macaroons for 12 to 15 minutes (longer on stoneware), until the macaroons turn golden brown and the bottoms are slightly caramelized. Remove the macaroons from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet.  I recommend transferring them to a cooling rack after they have cooled so that they are only slightly warm (with stoneware it takes about 30 minutes - probably less with a metal pan).  Once the milk hardens they get really sticky and difficult to lift, but if you transfer them too soon they may crumble.

Prepare the chocolate ganache by combining the chocolate chips with the cream in a small glass or ceramic bowl. Microwave this on 50 percent power for 1 minute, then gently stir the chocolate. If the chocolate is not completely melted after a couple minutes of stirring, microwave it again for another 30 seconds on half power and stir. When the chocolate is melted and smooth, pour it into a squirt bottle and drizzle it in thin streams over each macaroon. Let the macaroons sit out for a few hours. At a room temperature of 72 degrees the chocolate should set up in 3 or 4 hours.

When the chocolate has set, store the macaroons in an airtight container for up to 14 days at room temperature or for up to 4 weeks in the fridge.