Mom's Favorite Coconut Macaroons

     Most macaroons seem to go one of two ways, in my opinion...sickeningly sweet and sticky, or dry and tasteless. Needless to say I have never been a big fan of either rendition. Because I never really cared to eat them, I had never really cared to bake them. But when my mom discovered the AMAZING chocolate chip macaroons being sold at the farmers' market in Ithaca and started craving them weekly but not making it to the market more than once or twice a summer, well, I did what any good daughter would do and I sought to replicate this oh-so-tasty recipe! I was quick to discover that the traditional condensed milk recipes were not what I was looking for. Those mainly fell into the sticky/sweet category. However, in searching out alternate methods of making macaroons, I found a few recipes that used just 3 basic ingredients: sugar, coconut and egg whites. Upon testing one particular recipe of this sort (from a 1970's ladies' auxiliary cookbook, I think) I found that they were indeed much lighter, moist and chewy on the inside, and golden and toasty on the edges. With a few minor adjustments, some practice and some chocolate, VOILA...Mom's favorite coconut macaroons! 

     I'll start with a few pointers that should help you avoid the small pitfalls that tripped me up on some of my early attempts at achieving really great macaroons, they are helpful but you can skip ahead to the recipe if you want to just dive right in. First, the egg whites whisk up quickly and easily enough that you can do them by hand if you'd like. If you prefer to use a mixer (I do just because my Kitchen Aid is one of my better friends) then keep it on a very low speed and keep your eye on them. You should have nice, frothy egg whites within 45-60 seconds. If they start to look kinda creamy then you've gone too far and should start over before you waste your coconut and chocolate!  My second bit of advice is STIR, STIR, STIR. Once you add the coconut and the chocolate chips, stir them in by hand and be sure you put in a good 50-75 strokes. This is key in coating every bit in egg white, which acts as the "glue." It also helps to evenly distribute the chocolate so that each cookie gets a good amount of morsels.  Lastly, set your timer, use your sniffer and WATCH THESE BUGGERS CAREFULLY! They take a little while to start to brown, but they go from golden brown and delicious to black and burning in just a minute. If you can smell them toasting you better get to them fast or you might just be out of luck. So, those are the pointers and here comes the recipe. I hope you enjoy making them and file them away as a go-to treat as they are quick and easy and will have your family and friends begging for more!!

 CHOCOLATE CHIP COCONUT MACAROONS

• 3 large egg whites
• 1/2cup sugar
• pinch of salt
• one (14 oz) package sweetened coconut flake
• 2/3cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper (or generously coat with cooking spray.)

In a large bowl, whisk together egg whites, sugar and salt just until frothy. Thoroughly stir in coconut flakes and chocolate chips using a wooden spoon. 

Portion mixture onto prepared baking sheet in packed and leveled tablespoons, spacing about 1" apart. Using slightly dampened fingertips, form each spoonful into a nicely rounded mound. Bake in center of oven, one sheet at a time, for 15-17 minutes, rotating tray after first 8 minutes. Remove from oven when the tops and edges of cookies begin to turn golden brown and allow to cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining batter, using fresh parchment for each tray.

Store completely cooled macaroons in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Yields approximately 2 1/2 to 3 dozen cookies.

Willing To Try It, But Where Do I Buy It??

     Some of the ingredients that I use regularly in my kitchen may not be familiar to those of you who stick to the main section of your local grocery, rather than exploring the natural foods area. Because these foods are sure to pop up in my posts and recipes, I will frequently be highlighting a particular ingredient that you might want to learn more about, and maybe even pick up on your next shopping trip. I assure you that I have very little tolerance for foods that taste bad, regardless of how healthy they might be. Therefore, please trust me and give some of these products a shot. It's like your mom always said, "What if you'd never tried pizza?!" 

AGAVE NECTAR

Also known as agave cactus nectar, this sweetener is derived from the agave cactus and can be used as a substitute for sugar in almost any recipe. It is available in both light and dark varieties, comes in convenient squeeze bottle packaging and adds delightful sweetness without any aftertaste or chemical additives. It is also available in chocolate and raspberry flavors, although they may be a bit harder to find. Aside from serving to eliminate the need for refined sugar, agave nectar has a few other great health bonuses. The dark variety contains beneficial minerals and nutrients such as calcium and magnesium, and both light and dark agave nectar have very low glycemic indexes, meaning that they are less apt to cause spikes in blood sugar. Additionally, one teaspoon of agave nectar has about 20 calories and has the equivalent sweetness of 60 calories worth of refined white sugar.  In my opinion, as a sugar-substitute, agave nectar is about as good as it gets when you're looking to satisfy your sweet tooth without feeling bad about it later.

Agave nectar can easily be swapped for sugar in just about any recipe, just remember that it is sweeter than sugar so you should reduce the amount by 25% (ie: In a recipe calling for 1 cup of sugar, use 3/4cup agave nectar). The only other adjustment that is necessary when baking with agave nectar is a reduction in the recipes liquid by one third. An example of this would be 1 cup milk cut to 2/3 cup when substituting the nectar.

So now that you know what it is, why you might want to use it and how to incorporate it into your recipes, you'd probably like to know where to buy agave nectar. Most well-stocked supermarkets will have it shelved in the natural food section, along with baking supplies. Alternately, you can find it in the baking aisle of your local health food store or look on-line if you prefer to order it from a supplier. (You'll probably have to hit the health food store for flavored varieties like chocolate, but its worth a special trip, especially if you're looking for a new topping for ice cream!) 

For a tasty idea on how to use agave cactus nectar, check out the previous post, "Tastiest Last Minute Breakfast...Or After Dinner Treat." 

Tastiest Last Minute Breakfast...Or After Dinner Treat!

     Let's talk smoothies. Or fruitsie freezies. Or virgin daquiries. Or vegan shakes. The choice is your's, but so is the almost sinful pleasure! Back at the beginning of summer, when the best of the season's fruits first started to show up at the local farmer's markets, I decided to commit myself to eating more of these tasty delights. Surprisingly, I'm not a big fruit eater. I like the taste, I can usually go for a nice fresh fruit salad at the pot-luck picnics, but I rarely pick up a piece of fruit and snack right out of hand. I think its the mouth-pucker, tongue-tingle that comes from an unexpectedly tart apple or berry that makes me shy away, but whatever the reason, I don't eat enough of these nutrient rich, antioxident powerhouse foods.

     Such WAS the case, until I borrowed my mom's blender and whipped up my first homemade smoothie. It was fantastic! Plus, at home, I could control the sugar content, the quality of the fruit, the flavor combination and I could substitute dairy-free ingredients to make it more digestible for my sensitive system. I also realized right away that with a few pre-prepped ingredients which I could easily have on hand in my freezer, I could enjoy those wonderful summer fruits quickly and easily all year long.

     Smoothie making is definately not rocket science. I'm pretty sure this is true because I spent my entire 7th grade year building a rocket out of a paper towel tube and it never got more than a few feet into the air. I spent 10 minutes making, drinking and cleaning up from this morning's blueberry-banana breakfast shake and, as it does most every morning, the experience helped me start my day smiling.  You don't need much to throw together this great kick-starter, mostly stuff that should be in your fridge and pantry already, and a blender. The blender is crucial. I was lucky enough to have a mom who willingly lent her's to me (probably not realizing it'd be 6 months before I brought it back) but you can pick one up for about $20 and it will work just fine. From there,  you can follow the "recipe" below as a guideline and start getting creative. Since I started making this a morning routine, back around April, I think I've made one almost every day and probably haven't duplicated the combination at all. Have fun and MIX IT UP!! (Punny, huh?)

Here's your basic roadmap:

     About 2 cups of frozen fruits: whole blueberries, raspberries or blackberries; sliced strawberries, peaches or other stone fruits; pitted cherries all work well
     1 cup milk or non-dairy milk substitute of your choice (I like vanilla flavored rice milk)
     1-2 cups juice, coconut water* or good ol' tap water or a combination of these
     sweetener to taste (you can use sugar if you really want to, but you're risking a mid-morning crash. I prefer to add honey or agave nectar* if the fruits aren't sweet enough on their own)

Those few ingredients are enough to make a tasty treat on their own. If you want to add some additional richness or get more of your "good stuff" out of the way for the day, add any of the following:

     1/3 cup silken soft tofu* or plain Greek yogurt
     1Tbl soy lecithen granules*
     protein powder (per package directions)*
     1Tbl ground flaxseed*
     1 banana, sliced, fresh or frozen

Once you have your selection of ingredients placed into the blender jar, give it a few pulses on "chop" or "ice breaker" and then crank it up to a good high speed and give it a minute or two to really blend together. You can add more liquid if the blender seems to be struggling or if you prefer a thinner drink. I keep mine as thick as I can without burning out the motor because it makes me feel like I've just gone through the McD's drive through and I'm sipping down an extra thick shake!

These "measurements" will yield 2 shakes (each a breakfast in themselves) or 4 smaller ones if you want to serve them along with your cereal or toast.

*Most of these ingredients, which may be unfamiliar to many readers, can be found in the health food section of any well stocked grocery store. The silken tofu will be stocked with dry goods and comes in foil-lined paper "freshness" packaging similar to a juice box carton. The coconut water is generally found in the International foods section with the fruit nectars and juices; GOYA brand makes a great unsweetened variety that comes in individual serving cans. Be sure you are buying coconut "water" and not milk or the syrups used for mixed drinks!

Last but not least...keep in mind that you can also use these delicious, thick and creamy blended beverages as a dessert when you want to grab that little pint of ice cream but don't want to  double your caloric intake for the day! For an especially decadent treat, use frozen raspberries and bananas and sweeten with just a bit of CHOCOLATE agave nectar or Hershey's syrup. Mmmmmm...chocolate.

ENJOY!!

Welcome!

     Well, after several suggestions from friends and family that I start blogging about all my kitchen adventures, I've decided to give it a go.   So to all those who have egged me on...thanks for the encouragement and "high hopes" that I don't leave you regretting it.  My aim is for you to enjoy this as much as I do and, keep in mind, if your mouth starts watering and your tummy starts to grumble then I have achieved my goal!  I am looking forward to sharing a little something from my table everyday, so visit often and feel free to join in the fun of learning and laughing as we create something wonderful...