Almond Joy Macaroons

Preheat oven to 300°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

In a food processor, process 2 2/3 cups of full fat shredded coconut for about 5-8 minutes, until a thick, smooth coconut butter forms, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed (this will yield about 1 cup of coconut butter).

Combine the coconut butter and the remaining ingredients (everything on the above list down to and including the salt) in a bowl. Stir until well-combined.

Using a mini ice cream scoop or a small spoon, scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet (no need to leave much room in between as they do not spread out). Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until the bottoms of the macaroons are lightly browned. The macaroons will be very soft at this point.

Allow the macaroons to sit at room temperature on the baking sheet for about 30 minutes, or until they firm up and cool down.

While the macaroons cool, melt the chopped chocolate either in the microwave using 30 second intervals or over a double boiler.

You can either dip the cooled macaroons into the chocolate, covering the flat bottoms, (then dip the chocolate-covered macaroons in the chopped sliced almonds, if using), or you can drizzle the melted chocolate over the top of the cooled macaroons. Place chocolate-covered macaroons on a parchment or waxed paper-lined plate and place in the fridge until the chocolate has hardened.

Nutritional Information Per Macaroon (if using grain-sweetened chocolate chips):

104.3 calories, 6.4 grams fat, 4.6 grams saturated fat, 1.6 grams fiber, 6.2 grams sugar, 1.3 grams protein