Place almond meal, sugar, sifted cocoa powder, essence and egg whites in a large bowl. Stir to combine.
Roll level tablespoons of mixture into balls. Place, about 5 cm apart, on prepared trays.
Cook in a moderate oven, 180c, for 15 minutes. Remove and cool macaroons completely on tray.
To decorate macaroons, place chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. Sit bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until smooth. Remove. Spoon into a snap lock bag, squeeze into on corner, twist bag, then snip tip.
Drizzle melted chocolate over macaroons in a zig zag pattern. Refrigerate until set.