Coconut Macaroons

If you ever find yourself stuck with an insatiable craving for “Samoa” Girl Scout cookies – you will find a MUCH healthier (but equally tasty!) alternative here. This recipe is easily thrown together – perfect for a last minute party or get together. They keep well in the fridge for several days and can even be frozen and thawed for later use.

Ingredients

• 2 cups shredded coconut, unsweetened
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup almond flour (finely ground almonds)
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup or agave nectar
• 1/2 teaspoon finely ground pink sea salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2-4 teaspoons of cold water
• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) unsweetened dark or other vegan chocolate

Instruction

1. Combine coconut, coconut oil, flour, syrup, salt, and vanilla.
2. Coconut oil should NOT be melted. You want to have to fork the mixture together until the solid coconut oil has been completely smooshed up and combined with everything else. It takes about 2 minutes of dedicated forking.
3. Add water, starting with two teaspoons, and mix until mixture comes together and becomes sticky.
4. Once combined, use your hands to form the mixture into (about) 1 inch balls. Or two inch balls…because who am I to tell you how much macaroon to enjoy?
5. Once your macaroons are formed, set them on a paper lined cookie sheet in a cool place. The fridge will work beautifully here.
6. While the macaroons are chillin’, melt about 2 ounces of chocolate. To keep the recipe raw use the bain-marie (the double-boiler) method. To do this, fill a large saucepan with water. Bring the water to a boil, and cover with a heat safe bowl, never allowing the heat safe bowl to come into contact with the water. Gently melt the chocolate.
7. Once chocolate is fully melted, remove macaroons from cooling area. Dip macaroons carefully into the chocolate, being careful not to coat them, but rather add the chocolate as more of an accent, ’cause these babies are rich! (Sometimes we use a piping bag to add a little decorative chocolate to the tops.) This is most easily done using a spoon and/ or your fingers (I used my fingers so I had a reasonable excuse to lick the batter off of my fingers after…).
8. Once a little chocolate has been added, place the completed macaroons back onto lined cookie sheet and refrigerate for about 30-60 minutes, allowing chocolate to set. This process can be sped up by placing the entire cookie sheet into the freezer until the chocolate cools completely. Enjoy!