Caribbean Macaroon Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place coconut and macadamia nuts on a sheet pan and bake about 10 to 12 minutes until lightly toasted, stirring frequently. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Line 2 large sheet pans with greased parchment paper. Stir together condensed milk and vanilla in a large bowl. Mix on coconut, macadamias and apricots. Combine egg whites and salt in a medium bowl and beat to stiff, but not dry, peaks. Fold the beaten whites into the coconut mixture. Drop the batter by rounded tablespoonfuls onto the prepared pans, spacing 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake macaroons about 14 minutes until golden brown on the edges. Transfer the pans to racks and cool cookies completely.

Place the semisweet chocolate in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir chocolate until melted and smooth. Remove the chocolate from over the water. Line a sheet pan with wax paper. Dip the bottoms of the cooled cookies into the melted chocolate to coat. Place dipped cookies, chocolate side down, on the wax paper. Refrigerate cookies about 15 minutes until chocolate is set. Transfer cookies to an airtight container and store refrigerated.