Double Chocolate Almond Macaroons

Preheat the oven to 300ºF. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Beat the almond paste and ½ cup of the sugar in the bowl of a mixer with paddle until broken up, about 2 minutes. Pour in the melted chocolate and mix to blend for another minute. Scrape down the bowl then add the egg yolks and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth. Add the chopped chocolate chunks.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining ¼ cup of sugar and beat until the egg whites are stiff but not dry.

Stir one third of the whipped whites into the chocolate mixture, scraping the bowl well. Then fold in the remaining whites mixing just until the whites are blended. The batter will be fairly stiff. You may even want to work in the egg whites gently between your fingers.

Drop the batter by tablespoons onto the parchment-lined baking sheets or use a small portion scoop. Bake the cookies until set and lightly browned, about 20 to 25 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets after 15 minutes to bake evenly.

Allow the cookies to cool completely then remove them from the parchment with a spatula. Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, these cookies will keep fresh for 3 to 5 days.