Coconut Cream Blond Macaroons

Servings: about 2 dozen

Preparation Time: 30 minutes preparation, varies

Ingredients:

• 2 2/3 cups shredded, unsweetened coconut (or 1 cup prepared Coconut Cream Concentrate)
• 2 cups shredded, unsweetened coconut
• 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Directions:

First, you’ll need to use the 2 2/3 cups of shredded coconut to make homemade coconut butter or just 1 cup of Coconut Cream Concentrate instead. Blend the coconut in a high-powered blender or food processor until creamy. (It’s okay if the texture is slightly grainy.) To the coconut butter, add the rest of the ingredients and mix well until a batter forms.

These macaroons can be baked in an oven or gently dried in a dehydrator. For the oven, preheat to 300 degrees F and drop batter by rounded tablespoons onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20–25 minutes until the outsides are crispy, then allow to cool for an additional 25 minutes before removing from the pan to cool completely.

If using a dehydrator, simply drop the batter by rounded tablespoons onto the mesh sheets and dry at 118 degrees F for up to 24 hours or until desired crispiness is achieved.

Recipe and photo submitted by Megan, Los Angeles, CA.

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Gluten-Free Peanut Butter, Coconut Cookies

Servings: 35

Ingredients:

• 2 cups creamy peanut butter (I use organic and no-sugar added.)
• 2/3 whole sugar
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixer, cream peanut butter and sugar. Add everything else and mix until well combined.

With your hands, roll the mixture into little balls (they stay together better if you keep them small) and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. You could roll them in additional sugar.

Bake for about 10 minutes. Cookies should still be soft when you take them out of the oven. Let them sit for a few minutes before you take them off the baking sheet.

Recipe and photo submitted by Leslie, Amsterdam, NY.

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Gluten-Free Coconut Cream Bliss Cookies

Servings: About 24
Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups Coconut Cream Concentrate
• 1/2 cup coconut oil (or for less richness, use 1/4 cup coconut oil & 1/4 cup yogurt or kefir)
• 1 1/4 cups arrowroot powder
• 1/2 cup whole sugar, rounded
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Heat the Coconut Cream Concentrate over low heat until softened or melted. Melt the coconut oil over low heat; remove from heat and mix in the vanilla and almond extracts.

In a large bowl, mix the arrowroot with the sugar and salt.

Add the Coconut Cream Concentrate and coconut oil to the arrowroot. Mix until well combined. The dough should be very nice and workable, not overly sticky. If it’s sticky, add more arrowroot.

Form dough into tablespoon-sized balls and place on a greased cookie sheet. Flatten each ball with the palm of your hand or the bottom of a glass.

Bake in preheated oven for 20–30 minutes or until the cookies hold together and are very lightly browned on the bottom.

Cool a bit and remove from the cookie sheet while still warm. If they cool down and are stuck to the cookie sheet, place them back into the oven to warm up again, then they’ll be easy to remove.

Recipe and photo submitted by Lindsey, CO.

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