Heat the oven to 325°F. Line a sheet pan with cooking parchment paper.

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, water and brown rice syrup. Heat the mixture to boiling, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; simmer 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla extract.

In a large bowl, combine sweetened coconut and 1 cup of the unsweetened coconut. Pour the hot sugar mixture over the coconut. Beat with a hand mixer on low speed until well mixed. Add the cream cheese and beaten egg whites and beat on low speed until blended.

Place the remaining 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut in a small bowl and wet your hands slightly with water to keep from getting sticky. Scoop the dough with a rounded measuring tablespoon and firmly shape the mixture into a ball. Roll in the coconut to coat and place on the prepared sheet pan.

Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. Very gently move to a cooling rack and cool completely, at least 30 minutes. The macaroons will be very tender when warm.

Meanwhile, in a small microwavable bowl, melt the dark chocolate on high for about 1 minute or until melted; stir until smooth. Dip the bottoms of each cooled macaroon into the melted chocolate. Place on parchment or waxed paper until chocolate is set. Store in tightly covered container at room temperature or freeze in an airtight container for up to a month.