Chewy 5 Ingredient Macaroons

Posted on by llbalanced
Chewy 5 Ingredient Macaroons
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    [ID] => 7586
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    [post_date] => 2016-12-19 06:22:54
    [post_date_gmt] => 2016-12-19 12:22:54
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    [post_title] => Chewy 5 Ingredient Macaroons
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12.19

Last week, I was extremely fortunate to spend five days at Canyon Ranch in Tucson, Arizona. Canyon Ranch has been my December getaway for the last few years, to fortify me with sunshine as we head into the depths of winter. But CR does so much more than boost my Vitamin D intake. It allows me to play and create and wonder and move in ways that I don't during everyday life. My inner twelve year old is indulged—the me who stood on the precipice of young adulthood, still awed and fascinated by the possibilities ahead. Would I be a painter, a singer/songwriter, a poet, an astrologist (all careers I considered!)?

As much as I love LOVE every second of my job, it is still a joy to nurture new creative and academic pursuits at Canyon Ranch. This year, I attended lectures on nutrition and macular degeneration, integrative healthcare & spirituality, as well as several art classes: sketching, making beaded leather bracelet and beaded mala necklaces.

And, naturally, my favorite part about the CR experience is the abundant, gorgeous and nourishing food available! After 9 months of cooking 14-16 hours per day for my cookbook, it was a true indulgence to be cooked-for for five days! I was inspired by several of my favorite Canyon Ranch dishes, and I plan to create LL Balanced spin-offs of each, eventually. But as we approach the holidays, I figured a quick, easy and portable cookie recipe would be the most useful!

Canyon Ranch has absolutely scrummy baked goods, and I particularly adore their coconut macaroons. Slightly crunchy on the outside with a creamy, chewy center, these cookies are as satisfying as they are delicious.

To suit my personal taste, I used a little less sugar than the CR version, and I chose maple sugar crystals instead of white sugar. Maple sugar is simply dehydrated maple syrup, so it's less processed and maintains some nice mineral content. You can order it HERE for a great price, or check out your local Whole Foods/health food store. Or simply use one of my suggested substitutes in the instructions!

I also made my macaroons a touch larger, and because I can't leave well enough alone, drizzled them with a three ingredient chocolate sauce that hardens like magic shell when chilled! These cookies are the perfect holiday dessert, because they look festive, contain only five ingredients, and they're full of healthy fats that will help curb sugar cravings.

If you are a lover all things coconut, these are the holiday cookie for you! Thank you, Canyon Ranch, for the inspiration and for boosting the health of my mind, body and spirit each year.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS AT A DISCOUNT:

Shredded Coconut Flakes

Raw Honey

Organic Vanilla Extract

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TOTAL TIME :15minutes30minutes10minutes
15-16macaroons
INGREDIENTS
  • 2 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes
  • 1 large egg white
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons water (ok, I don't count this as an ingredient!)
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1/4 cup maple sugar (sub sugar in the raw, demerara or light brown sugar)
  • Optional: pinch teaspoon sea salt
DIRECTIONS
  1. Add coconut flakes to a food processor or high-powered blender and pulse/blend until they form a chunky flour consistency, approximately 1 minutes.
  2. Add coconut, egg white and vanilla to a mixing bowl. Stir to combine (it will be a thick, chunky consistency mmm ;).
  3. In a small saucepan, combine water, honey and sugar. Bring to a boil and boil 1 minute, stirring constantly, until liquid has thickened slightly and is golden brown.
  4. Pour sugar mixture into the coconut bowl, as well as sea salt, if using, and mix all ingredients together evenly.
  5. Refrigerate dough for 20 minutes. While dough is chilling, preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  6. Remove dough from fridge and form macaroons into 1 1/2 inch tightly packed balls. It's key that the mixture is really squished together. Use fingers to flatten the bottom slightly so they don't roll, and place on baking sheet. I rinse my hands every 5 macaroons or so, which helps prevent sticking.
  7. Bake macaroons for 13-15 minutes, until tops are just slightly golden brown. Allow to cool at least 15 minutes before enjoying. If you want to drizzle them with chocolate as I did: In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil, maple syrup and cocoa powder. Whisk to incorporate, then drizzle or dip macaroons as you like, once macaroons have cooled. If you want the chocolate to solidify, refrigerate macaroons for 20 minutes or so. You can then add another layer of drizzle for a thicker coating.
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