Macaroon Cheesecake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

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 one 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.

To make crust, crumble about 10 macaroons to make two cups crumbs. Press into a 9-inch springform pan.

To make the 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.

Bake for one hour. If cheesecake begins to brown, cover loosely with parchment paper.

Let cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare topping.

To make the topping, mix sour cream, sugar, and vanilla extract. Pour over cheesecake and return to the oven for an additional seven minutes. Let cool fully; then refrigerate.

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.

Garnish cheesecake with plain or chocolate-drizzled macaroons.