3 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup sliced almonds - the flat ones
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon ground habanero (you can also use ground jalapeño)
2 large egg whites
pinch of salt

preheat oven to 350.  place coconut and nuts on a cookie sheet (with sides) and bake them til lightly toasted, stirring about every 5 minutes.  could take 20 - 30 minutes.  remove from oven and set aside.

grease 2 large cookie sheets.  (this is no joke.  these will stick badly even to a non-stick pan.  they even stuck to the fancy french non-stick pad chef connie gave me.  grease the dang pans.)

combine the milk, vanilla and ground chile.  add the coconut and nuts and combine well.  in a smaller bowl with an electric mixer (wash bowl and beaters well with hot water and soap, any trace of grease will prevent the egg whites from rising), beat the egg whites with the pinch of salt til stiff but not dry (makes peaks but not clods).  carefully fold egg whites into coconut mixture.  drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheets - oh, just make it come out even and use all the batter on the 2 cookie sheets.

bake for about 14 minutes, til the cookies are just barely golden brown.  cool completely on the pan - very important.  remove carefully. these are the best on the first day you make them - after that they're yummy but lots stickier.