I thought I'd share my gluten-free version of a classic Coconut Macaroon recipe.
Macaroon recipes require very little flour to begin with, so this was a perfect cookie to attempt without the 'evil wheat' that wrecks havoc with so many people's gastro-intestinal tracts.
First, the original recipe. I don't recall where exactly I picked this one up since it's been in my personal repertoire the last 25 years, but I think it came off of a bag of Baker's dessicated coconut shreds.
Some recipes call for Almond Paste. The paste is not always easily sourced and can be pricey so I don't often use recipes that call for it. This recipe only calls for Almond Extract.
Coconut Macaroons--makes 2.5 dozen small cookies
Ingredients
*2 & 2/3 Cups shredded Coconut
*2/3 Cup of White Granulated Sugar
*1/4 Cup of Flour
*1/4 teaspoon Salt
*4 Egg Whites
*1 teaspon Almond Extract
*1 Cup Almonds, chopped(optional)
*Candied Cherries(optional also)
Preheat oven to 325F.
Combine coconut, sugar, flour and salt.
Separate whites from yokes(reserve yokes for another baking/cooking project).
Stir in egg whites and extract into other ingredients.
Stir in chopped almonds now(if using them).
Drop balls of dough onto lightly greased baking sheets(or use silicone mats instead of grease on sheets).
You can garnish with a candied cherry at this point too, if desired(optional).
Bake for 20 minutes.
If using greased baking sheets, remove immediately after cooking. If using silicone mats, remove when you feel like it.lol
To make this cookie gluten-free is simple....just substitute 1/4 Cup Coconut Flour for the regular flour in the recipe above.
Coconut Flour is not a wheat product. It's just coconut 'meat' that has been pulverized into a powder, or flour. It has the appearance of 'flour'. It acts as a binder for your cookies and imparts a bit more of a coconut flavor to your cookies.
You may need to mail order the coconut flour unless you are in a larger city with access to more 'ethnic' foods. I have found it sold in 2lb. bag form and the price is quite reasonable. A bag should last you quite awhile.
I also like to color these cookies depending on the Holiday. For Christmas(or St. Pat's Day for that matter), the newer Neon type food coloring gives you a nice shade of radioactive green as opposed to the old regular green food coloring which turned them a darker unappetizing shade.lol
I have also melted dipping chocolate(those wafers of chocolate that come in a bag at the Craft Store-Wilton and other brands)and dipped or drizzled the cookies with chocolate. They don't last long when you do that!
Sluggy
I just made some coconut ice last night, but it was more like coconut dirty snow...
ReplyDeleteThis sounds really good! I may have to try this out this week.
Thanks!
When I was a child and teen, I made these all the time. Yesterday I read that macaroons were going to replace cupcakes and pies as the favored dessert. I had earlier read that cupcakes were out and pies were going to be the next big dessert. But, I missed the pie boom, or something. Can oat or rice or Quinoa flour replace the coconut flour? I use my small coffee bean grinder, the kind with a container and blades inside, to grind flour from all three I mentioned. Oh, coloring macaroons is the best part. I have to have mine colored!
ReplyDeleteOh, forgot to say, I always use vanilla extract and no nuts. I wonder if pressing a Hershey's Kiss in the top after baking would be scrumptious?
ReplyDelete