Friday, March 16, 2012

Coconut Macaroons


This is one of my first recipes as a primal baker (so please excuse it's informality). Now I know and must point out the differences between using sweetened or unsweetened coconut. Besides the obvious variation in amounts of sugar, the unsweetened really seems to be extra dry. I would suggest perhaps leaving some of the yolks in with the mix to make up for that lack of moisture.

I wasn't terribly exact when whipping these up, so you'll have to excuse my use of guessed measurements.
I have made a recipe from the back of a coconut bag before, and this was a different brand. So, the recipes were a little different. One had flour, one didn't, etc....
This is roughly what I did:

Ingredients
2 bags (approx. 32 oz) of coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup of almond flour
6 egg whites
1 cup almond or coconut milk
sea salt and sweetener to taste 
dark chocolate to drizzle on top (I used baking chips, which melt faster)
slivered almonds
coconut oil for the pan

Directions
Basically, I mixed all the ingredients in a bowl. I greased the pan and set the oven for 325-350.
Since I didn't have an ice-cream scoop to make perfect little blobs, I greased up a small measuring cup (probably 1/4 cup), and used it to make 16 coconutty mounds. I baked them while continually checking and changing temps, making sure they weren't getting burnt here or there. When there was brown crispy coconut all over the tops and especially bottoms, I took them out and let them cool before adding the toppings.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Coconut Coffee Hobnobs


This is a great primal and gluten/grain free dessert. I don't feel at all guilty about eating these...


Coconut Coffee Hobnobs

Dusting powder:
4 tbs unsweetened coconut finely processed
1 tsp cocoa powder
1 tsp coconut flour
1 handful organic chocolate chips

Hobnobs:
12 large organic pitted dates
2 tbs brewed coffee
1/4 cup almond milk + 1 tbs
1 1/2 tbs coconut oil

3/4 cup whole almonds
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 tsp ground sea-salt
2 tsp coconut flour
1 1/2 tsp cocoa powder

1/4 cup coconut flour set aside

For the dusting powder, chop all of the ingredients in a food processor until desired consistency and mix together. Set this aside.
For the hobnobs you need to mix wet ingredients and dry ingredients, then combine the two.
Blend the dates, coffee, almond milk and coconut oil in a food processor until it is smooth and buttery. Separately put the almonds (you can use another kind of nut, or several kinds), salt, coconut flour and cocoa powder in the processor to create the nut meal. After these two blends are mixed together, slowly add up to 1/4 cup of coconut flour until the mixture has the consistency of sticky pizza dough. Once it can be rolled into a ball a little bigger than an inch in size, drop it into your dusting mix and cover it completely.
Place all of the finished treats on a sheet and chill in the fridge until you just can't resist the temptation to eat one!
The recipe makes 12-15 hobnobs.