I love macaroons for so many reasons – apart from the fact that it is a treat and is so easy to bake. I’m willing to try anything containing coconut after reading about its health benefits.
Coconut is rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals, and is well known for it’s medicinal qualities, including being anti-fungal, anti-viral and anti-bacterial. Another surprise for this recipe is that it is naturally gluten-free – yes, you do not need traditional flour to perfect the macaroon.
There are a few things I add to macaroons that are entirely optional: lemon zest and almond extract. I find that lemon zest brings out more flavor, and the almond extract gives the macaroon a hint of an old-style bakery cookie flavor – but completely up to you, of course. You can easily go with coconut flakes, egg whites, vanilla, and some salt and be quite happy with the results.
These may not completely replace the chocolate-covered macaroons that you can find at Zabar’s and Fairway in New York City. But, to get close to that taste I have one final step. When they’re done baking and cooling, I dip almost the entire batch of macaroons in melted dark chocolate. (Sorry to all those SCDers out there – chocolate is not “legal”, so this is the only part of the recipe that you want to just plain ignore and make believe it doesn’t exist – sorry!).
And, as for the left-over egg yolks, they can be used to make lemon curd (see the very end of this post for the recipe).
Macaroons
Ingredients (makes about 24 macaroons)
- 5 or 6 egg whites (from 5 large eggs or 6 small eggs; I’ve even done it with 4 eggs)
- 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
- 1/2 cup of honey (or other sweetener)
- 1 tablespoon of vanilla
- 3 cups of shredded unsweetened coconut (I use this brand
)
- 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon of lemon zest (optional)
Preparation
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Whisk or beat eggs whites together with the salt, until it is shiny with stiff peaks (about 5 minutes).
- To the egg whites, add the honey, vanilla, coconut, the almond extract, and lemon zest and blend with a spoon or spatula.
- Drop and shape spoonfuls of batter on parchment paper or other non-stick cooking surface or sheet to bake.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until they are browned at the peaks and on the bottom.
- Dip in melted chocolate if you choose.
- Cool and enjoy! Store in a sealed container.
Chocolate dip
- Set up a bain marie or heat-proof bowl over simmering water.
- Add about 1 cup of chocolate chips or chocolate bar to the bowl and melt slowly.
- Once the chocolate is in a liquid state (tempered), dip each macaroon into the chocolate.
- Place the dipped macaroons on a non-stick surface and place in the refrigerator for an hour so. Alternatively, you can let these set at room temperature in a cool location.
- Enjoy!
And now for those left-over yolks… lemon curd!
- 6 egg yolks
- 4 tablespoons of butter (I had this at 1/2 cup but it comes out just as well with half the amount of butter)
- the juice and zest of 2 lemons (or mango works well too!)
- 1/2 cup of honey
- Set up a bain marie or heat-proof bowl over simmering water.
- Add the egg yolks, lemon juice and zest, and honey. Use a whisk to stir and combine the ingredients.
- Slowly add small pieces of butter until it’s all in the bowl. Whisk the butter into the mixture as you add it.
- Gently simmer and occasionally blend the mixture until it thickens (about 5 minutes). Try not to let it get clumpy.
- Once it is the consistency of custard, take it off the heat, cool in a bowl or pan of cold water to stop it from cooking, and then store it in the refrigerator to use in yogurt, as cupcake filling, or on toast.
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I just posted about macaroons as well! yours look so decadent with all that chocolate on top! fabulous. I’ll have to dip mine in Chocolate too!
Thanks, Zoe!
I can’t wait to make your recipe for chocolate, caramel-covered matzo – that’s the bomb for passover as far as I’m concerned.
I just started the SCD diet about 2 months ago and am desperately missing chocolate… How are these SCD legal?
Hi Danielle!
These macaroons are SCD legal without the chocolate. Everything else is good to go.
Sorry – I don’t always follow SCD, but most of the time I do. I use chocolate in some of my recipes, but most of the time the chocolate can be removed or subsituted.
Darn – I was hoping you had found a SCD chocolate
Oh well, only 2 more years without it!
Just a note about coconut.
If you are just starting out on scd be very careful with coconut as it has too much fiber and you may have problems.
I just found your web site and am so happy.
You do great things.
Thank you.
Is the Let’s Do Organic Unsweetend Coconut Flakes brand SCD legal?
Carmen – it’s just dehydrated coconut – no other ingredients, so it should be SCD legal.
Just want to point out that I use shredded coconut for this recipe: http://astore.amazon.com/comfybelly-20/detail/B000F4D5GC
I made these today and my whole family loved them. Thanks for the recipe
Nice to hear, Kathy!
Looking forward to trying for Passover! Thanks. What is great is that most of your recipes are kosher for Passover since a new box of baking soda and almond flour are permitted. (:
Can’t wait to try the macaroons. Was also looking at the lemon curd, but we are dairy free. Could Earth Balance or coconut oil be subbed for the butter?
Thanks.
I think they would both work, but I haven’t tried either. Let us know if you try either of them.
How do you fold the honey in without deflating the egg whites? I tried this today and it deflated and the honey sort of pooled on the bottom of the bowl so I had to stir it with each spoonful as I was putting them on the cookie sheet. Then when it baked it pooled some more so there was a honey ring around most of the cookies. It wasn’t just honey, though, b/c when I tasted it it was kind of spongy. Good recipe, but it didn’t quite work for me. Tips, please!
Sorry this wasn’t clear! I changed the wording a bit. Hopefully it clarified the process. Blending the other ingredients in is really more like what you’re doing so I took out the word “folding” because you’re doing more than folding. So you can blend well.
These look lovely, please can you clarify 1 tablespoon of vanilla?
extract? A tbs seems a lot. Thanks
it’s correct but feel free to use less if you desire