Macaroons:
3 large egg whites
½ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
5 cups unsweetened coconut flakes
Filling:
2 (8-ounce) bar Cream Cheese, at room temperature
¾ cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
Topping:
1 pint (16 ounces) sour cream
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Garnish:
12–14 macaroons
7 ounces chocolate chips
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. To make macaroons: Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk egg whites, sugar, and salt. Stir in coconut until combined. Drop batter onto baking sheet 1 tablespoon at a time, or pipe through plastic bag with the corner cut to create a tip. Bake for 25 minutes, until golden. Let cool.
3. To make crust: Crumble about 10 macaroons to make 2 cups crumbs. Press into a 9” springform pan.
4. To make filling: Using a stand or hand mixer, mix cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract. Add eggs one at a time, blending well between each addition. Pour cheese mixture into crust.
5. Bake for 1 hour. If cheesecake begins to brown, cover loosely with parchment paper.
6. Let cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare topping.
7. To make topping: Mix sour cream, sugar, and vanilla extract. Pour over cheesecake and return to the oven for an additional 7 minutes. Let cool fully; then refrigerate.
8. To make chocolate-drizzled macaroons: Place macaroons on wire rack. In a double boiler over simmering water, melt chocolate chips. Pour melted chocolate into a squeeze bottle. If you don’t have a squeeze bottle, you can use a plastic bag with a small opening cut at the corner. Handle carefully, wrapping with a small towel if chocolate is too hot. Squeeze gently to drizzle over macaroons. Refrigerate to set chocolate.
9. Garnish cheesecake with plain or chocolate-drizzled macaroons.