Grain Free Coconut Macaroons

Coconut macaroons are one of my favourite cookies. There was a stand at our local Farmers market that sold some lovely ones, 8 to a tray, that I used to pick up every so often when the boys and I would walk there on Saturday mornings. It was always a challenge to get them home intact! I tried many recipes, trying to recreate that delicious mixture of coconut and chocolate. Some were close,(like this one from my old blog in 2009!) but not close enough to end the search. A few years later I found this version from David Lebovitz. It was amazingly close, and got rave reviews whenever I made them. Alas, ingredient wise, because they contained wheat flour, they left my cookie repertoire, but were not forgotten.  It took some tries, (and multiple failures) to re-create it without the wheat, but I finally succeeded! (I even presented a healthier version of this in a cooking class using coconut sugar that was lovely, but this original version still stands as my favourite.) I am surprised that I haven’t posted this before now, as I have been making this version for quite a while! (posting teaser pictures on my Facebook page reminds me of what I have not shared!) That being said, there aren’t a lot of technique pictures with this post. If anyone feels they would help out the recipe, add a request in the comments, and the next time I whip up a batch I will update the recipe with some new pics! 

The two step cooking process is integral to the recipe, and comes directly from the recipe on David Lebovitz’s blog. It definitely makes the cookie and this step cannot be skipped!!

One last thing: the creamed coconut should not be confused or substituted with "coconut cream" which is a completely different thing! My favourite one is from Edward and Sons and comes in a green box (we sell it at Goodness Me, in-store, but not online yet) Coconut butter is very similar and can be substituted in a pinch. 

Grain Free Coconut Macaroons

3 egg whites

1 whole egg

¾ cup organic cane sugar

½ tsp sea salt

2 ½ cups unsweetened shredded coconut (Organic Traditions is the bees knees! )

2 Tbsp arrowroot flour

3 Tbsp almond flour

1/3 cup creamed coconut (or sub. coconut butter, this works well too!)

2 Tbsp honey

Mix all ingredients together in a large heavy bottomed frying pan. (Do not turn on heat yet! Mix well first or your eggs will scramble instead of blending in!!) Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a flat wooden spatula until the mixture starts to stick to the bottom of the pan and the sugars start to caramelize. Remove from heat, scrape into a bowl and chill until easily handle-able.

If you are in a hurry when chilling the
dough, spread it out thinly in a bowl in
the fridge, it will cool in 1/2 the time!

Preheat oven to 350F

Shape in to 1 tbsp sized cookies, and place on a parchment lined pan about an inch apart. ( I use my 1 tbsp Cuisinart measuring spoon as a scoop, because it makes a nice rounded cookie shape. I dip it in water between each scoop and they release well with a firm tap on the cookie sheet.)

Bake for 17-18 minutes or until macaroons start to just nicely brown around the edges. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.

If desired: Melt 1 ½ cups chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl over simmering water (water should not touch the bottom of the bowl!)  and dip macaroons in chocolate. Chill until chocolate is set.

Keep leftovers in refrigerator, if you have any!

Grain Free Rhubarb Pecan-Coconut Streusel Muffins

My rhubarb is doing really well this year. While it is a reasonably easy plant to grow, you need patience for the first few years after planting your initial crowns. The plants need the first year to establish a good strong root system, and it is recommended not to pull any stalks during this initial growth time. The second year, you can harvest a small amount, but only at the beginning of the season. Herein lies the issue with my rhubarb. When I planted my first plant, in what I thought would be its forever home, I vastly underestimated the size of it in comparison to the space it would take up in the end of my herb garden. Season two saw it move to a second home, which, in hindsight was no better than the first. Two years ago, I found the perfect spot for it in my yard, and finally gave it a(nother) forever home (I say that now, lol!) Last year, the second year in its happy home, it came up sparsely, and did not have a great season overall. I was afraid, by the end of the year, that I was going to be buying a new plant and starting all over this spring. 

This tenacious plant proved me wrong though, and came up beautifully this spring, and has graced me with a beautiful crop of nice tart rhubarb. I am thinking I need to work on a grain free pie crust and attempt a strawberry rhubarb pie in the near future, just to celebrate the bountiful harvest!

When you chop your rhubarb, make sure the pieces are fairly small, so they don’t overwhelm the muffin. I cut my stalks in half lengthwise and then diced. If your stalks are very thick you may need to cut into thirds or quarters. My test kitchen at work gave these muffins 2 thumbs up, I hope you enjoy them too!

Grain Free Rhubarb Pecan-Coconut Streusel Muffins

Muffin Batter:

½ cup coconut flour

¼ cup arrowroot flour

2 Tbsp Chickpea flour

1 tsp baking soda

¾ tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup honey

4 eggs

1 Tsp vanilla

½ c kefir or yogurt, (plain, not sweetened, preferably full fat!)

1/3 cup coconut oil

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2 cups diced rhubarb (make pieces fairly small)

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Streusel topping :

½ cup chopped pecans

½ cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)

2 Tbsp Honey

2 Tbsp coconut oil

2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375F

Line muffin tin with 12 papers, or grease really well. Set aside.

Measure batter ingredients into a large mixing bowl, and mix well with an immersion blender. Scrape sides of bowl if necessary to ensure everything is well incorporated and there are no lumps.

Mix in chopped rhubarb and mix well to combine.

Fill muffin liners ¾ full and set aside.

Quickly rinse your mixing bowl (or get a clean one, but hey…who wants more dishes??) and measure in the streusel ingredients. Mix well to combine.

Sprinkle evenly over the muffin batter and place in preheated oven.

Bake for 22-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven to a heat safe surface.

Let stand for 5 minutes, remove from pan and let cool on wire rack. Store leftovers in fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for longer storage.

 I love my handy chopper from Epicure for chopping nuts!

Coconut Cinnamon Streusel Muffins

After a long hiatus from putting pen to paper and writing down new recipes, I am finally back on track and getting some new creations posted for you!

This muffin recipe, and the Cranberry Coconut Breakfast Bars that I posted recently were created out of a need to use up a bunch of frozen bananas that were threatening to take over my freezer. There always seems to be that one banana that no one wants to use, and is sadly left to brown in the fruit basket on the counter. When it becomes painfully obvious that no one is going to go anywhere near it, into the freezer it goes, alongside the other strays, until I have enough to do something with. (or until they start to fall out when the freezer door is opened…whichever happens to come first!)

The latter was the case, and these beauties were born. The muffin itself is not very sweet, the coconut streusel topping adds just that perfect sweetness and texture to perfectly finish off the muffin. They are not large muffins, which suits me just fine. The bigger appetites in my house take two, but I find one perfect for a mid-day snack. They freeze very well, making the large amount of muffins perfect for filling up that empty space left by the frozen bananas J

Coconut Cinnamon Streusel Muffins (makes 24 small muffins)

Muffins:

6 eggs

¾ cup plain kefir or yogurt (full fat!)

4 bananas (very ripe…mine were frozen and thawed)

2 Tbsp Apple cider vinegar

¼ cup melted coconut oil

2/3 cup coconut flour

¼ cup arrowroot flour/starch

¼ cup coconut sugar

¼ cup chick pea flour

¼ cup ground chia seeds (grind in blender or buy already ground)

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Streusel Topping:

1 Tbsp Cinnamon

3 Tbsp melted coconut oil

3 Tbsp coconut sugar

2/3 cup shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 375F. Line 24 muffin tins with parchment liners or grease very well.  Set aside. 

Measure all of the muffin ingredients into an 8 cup mixing bowl. Using an immersion blender, blend together well, scraping down the sides with a spatula as necessary to make sure all ingredients are mixed.  Let stand while you mix the streusel.

To make the streusel: Mix all ingredients together well in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.

Scoop the prepared muffin batter evenly into the lined pans. Top evenly with the streusel topping. (there is a generous amount of topping, you won't need to scrimp!)

Bake for 18-20 minutes in preheated oven or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean.

Remove from pans and cool on wire racks. Store leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or wrap and freeze for up to 6 months. 

Cranberry Coconut Breakfast Bars

I apologize, dear readers, for the lack of recipes lately. Between the holidays, a promotion at work, and life in general, it seems I have been a wee bit side tracked when it comes to getting recipes posted. Lots has been going on in the kitchen, but when all was said and done, something had to give, and the blog has suffered. I intend to correct that here and now though by giving you a wonderful grain free bar that is perfect for a quick breakfast or snack. These bars are heading to work with me tomorrow for an early morning staff training (along with another soon to be posted recipe...Grain Free Coconut Cinnamon Streusel Muffins). Not too sweet, portable, and full of yummy grain free nutrients to fuel your morning...or your break, or whenever you need a satisfying bite to eat. We usually cut these into at least 16 bars, and they store well in the freezer for those crazy busy mornings. 

Cranberry Coconut  Breakfast Bars

3 eggs

3 very ripe bananas (mine were previously frozen and thawed)

1 cup full fat milk kefir or yogurt  

1/3 cup gently melted coconut oil, cooled slightly

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup coconut sugar

2/3 cup coconut flour

¼ cup Arrowroot flour/starch

¼ cup chickpea flour

¼ cup ground Chia seeds

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp of salt

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1 cup fruit-juice-sweetened dried cranberries

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (Organic Traditions is my fav!)

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a 9X13 glass baking dish or line with parchment paper and set aside. 

Beat the eggs, kefir, coconut oil, vinegar, vanilla and bananas together in a large mixing bowl until frothy with an immersion blender.  Add the coconut sugar, flours, baking soda, and salt. Mix well again ensuring there are no lumps left.

Mix in the dried cranberries and coconut  with a wooden spoon or spatula to evenly distribute.

Scrape the batter into prepared pan, and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool in the pan completely before cutting into desired shape. 

Store in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator, or wrap individually and freeze for up to 6 months. 

Grain Free Cherry Coconut Zucchini Loaf

Anyone who follows me on my Facebook recipe page will know that I am in the midst of being inundated by zucchini. It is the season that all gardeners love to hate, and I am no different. Two zucchini plants keep us in zucchini for a good chunk of the summer and into the fall. But they grow like crazy!!! One minute you have beautiful tiny little zucchinis, and the next minute you have these gargantuan beasts that resemble watermelons more than the summer squash they are. I have no idea how they actually accomplish these spectacular feats of growth overnight, but it really is kind of amazing.

They really are delicious, too, and I have been going crazy pinning zucchini recipes on my Pinterest page. From sweet to savory, (and even a soup recipe!) I cannot wait to try out some new recipes.

I made this zucchini loaf today, and it turned out quite tasty. The sour cherries add a lovely zing of flavour to this moist grain free loaf. It was a great use for one of the smaller of the 6 (!!!) zucchinis that I pulled from the garden yesterday.

 A slice of this loaf would be lovely to have with a nice cup of tea on the patio…now I just need to find the time to sit and relax!

Grain Free Cherry Coconut Zucchini Loaf

4 eggs

1 T Apple cider vinegar (I like this one!)

1 cup milk kefir (or yogurt or non-dairy substitute of choice)

1/3 cup coconut oil, softened

½ cup coconut flour

¼ cup arrowroot flour

This sized zucchini grated into
 a generous 1 1/2 cups

2 Tbsp chickpea flour

1 tsp baking soda

½ cup coconut sugar

1 tsp vanilla powder (or 2 tsp vanilla extract)

¾ tsp sea salt

1 ½ tsp cinnamon

ADD INS:

1 ½ cups grated zucchini (mine was a very generous cup and a half!!)

½ cup dried sour cherries (sub raisins or dried cranberries if you wish)

½ cup shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 375F. Line a loaf pan (mine measures 9.25x5.25x2.75) with parchment or grease well.

 Set aside.

Measure all ingredients EXCEPT the add-ins into a large mixing bowl. Blend together well with an immersion blender or a whisk and lots of elbow grease. Let stand 5 minutes to thicken up.

Grate zucchini with a regular sized grater

Place grated zucchini on a clean kitchen towel, and gather the top together

 and squeeze out as much moisture as you can.

 

Add squeezed zucchini, coconut and dried cherries to the batter and mix in until well distributed.

Scrape batter into prepared pan. 

Bake in preheated oven for 65-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove loaf from pan using parchment, and set on a wire rack to cool before slicing.

Store leftovers in refrigerator or freezer. 

Grain Free Apricot Coconut Muffins with a Honey Lime Drizzle

 Fresh apricots, to me, always taste like sunshine. Probably because they arrive at the height of summer, and their colour is so brightly perfect for the season. I love the fresh and tangy- sweet tartness when they are fresh, but baking them takes these little darlings to a whole new level.  I brought home a bag from work this week, and had planned to make some kind of apricot upside down cake with them. But, being as I ended up wide awake and in a baking mood bright and early on Sunday morning, they ended up in a muffin instead, because I just couldn't justify having cake for breakfast!

The honey lime drizzle is optional, but tasty. Leave it off if you wish, but it really is the proverbial “icing on the cake” , or in this case, muffin!
**recipe is updated, it was meant to say baking SODA, not powder!

Grain Free Apricot Coconut Muffins with a Honey Lime Drizzle

Muffin base:

6 eggs, preferably pastured

¾ cup coconut flour

2/3 cup kefir or yogurt

¾ tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder  SODA! **

1/3 cup honey

1 tsp vanilla

¼ cup melted coconut oil

Add ins:

1 cup diced fresh apricots (approx 4-5 apricots, depending on the size)

½ cup shredded coconut

Drizzle:

In a small bowl, mix together:

2 tbsp honey

2 tsp lime juice

2 tsp hot water

Preheat oven to 350F.

Whiz the base ingredients together in a mixing bowl with a stick blender until well blended. Let stand for a few minutes for the coconut flour to thicken up. Mix in the apricots and coconut with a wooden spoon until well incorporated.

Spoon evenly into muffin tins lined with papers, mine made 12.

Bake in preheated oven for 22-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Remove from oven, and while muffins are still in the pan and hot, drizzle with the honey lime mixture. Let hang out in the pan for about 5 minutes and then remove to a wire rack to cool.

Keep them in the fridge after the first day, or freeze. (if they last that long!)

Grain Free Egg Free Coconut Flour Cookies With Grapefruit

Let me start by saying this is not your typical cookie. This is more of a cookie that you make when you are either limited by the ingredients in your fridge(which I was today), or limited in the ingredients you can use because of allergies or food restrictions. But, bearing that in mind, it is a pretty tasty little morsel.  The recipe that inspired this cookie is here. After reading the comment section, I knew some tweaking may help, and I think I did all right. The chocolate drizzle, and coconut sprinkles, while optional, brings a balance to the flavours that really works. The recipe only makes 9 cookies, perfect for when that cookie craving strikes, but you don’t want a ton of leftover goodies to snack on.

Grain Free Egg Free Coconut Flour Cookies With Grapefruit

6 tbsp organic coconut flour

5 tbsp organic butter, softened

2 tbsp coconut nectar (I am sure honey would work well too)

1 Tbsp ground Chia seeds

3 tbsp shredded organic coconut

1 tsp  organic grapefruit zest, **

3 tbsp organic grapefruit juice **

¼ tsp sea salt

Optional, but yummy additions:

1 tbsp melted Enjoy Life chocolate chips (or chocolate chips of choice)

1 tbsp shredded organic coconut

Preheat oven to 350F.

Mix together everything but the optional add ins in a bowl until thoroughly mixed and in a soft ball. Let rest for  3-4 minutes then divide dough into 9 equal balls. Roll each ball with the palms of your hands and then flatten to about ¾ inch thickness and bake for 9-11 minutes on a parchment lined pan, or until just starting to brown slightly on the edges.

Let cool, and drizzle with optional chocolate, and sprinkle with shredded coconut if desired.

Plain cookies

**I am going to try these again with both lime zest and juice, as well as orange! I will update the recipe when I do. 

Grain Free Banana Muffins

Somehow when transferring my recipes over from my recipe page on Facebook, this one was missed! Jim recently requested them, so I had to hunt down the recipe. Apparently it has been too long since I have made them! I have updated this recipe a bit from the one posted over there, taking out one egg, and increasing the oven temperature but decreasing the cooking time.
We don’t like overly sweet muffins, feel free to increase the honey or coconut nectar to ½ a cup if you feel like a sweeter muffin.
I think my favourite part of working with grain free "flours" is the mixing. With regular flours, you have to be careful not to over mix, for fear of releasing the gluten in the flour,(this results in a tough muffin.) With the grain free "flours" this is not an issue, just the opposite in fact. They need the extra mixing to ensure the flours and eggs are thoroughly combined.

Grain Free Banana Muffins 
1 c. almond flour (JK Gourmet is my fav, it is nice and fine)
6 Tbsp. coconut flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. sea salt
½ c of milk, kefir or yogurt
¼  c coconut oil, melted
¼ cup honey or coconut nectar
2 bananas, very ripe!
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
Optional ingredients:
1 cup chopped walnuts
OR
1 cup chocolate chips (I like the Enjoy Life brand)

Preheat oven to 375F, and prepare your muffin tin either by greasing or using non-bleached paper liners.
Put all ingredients except walnuts/chocolate chips in a large mixing bowl, combine thoroughly with immersion blender. (I am sure you could put everything into a blender and whiz till well combined, or whisk VERY vigorously if you don’t have an immersion blender)
Add walnuts or chocolate chips and stir to combine. (you can even use both, I bet it would be tasty! If you do, I would use ½ cup of each)
Scoop into muffin tin lined with papers (or greased) about 2/3 full. (Should fill 12)

Bake in preheated oven for  20-25 minutes on the center rack.
Let cool in pan for 5 min before removing from pan to a cooling rack.

Grain Free Zucchini Coconut Muffins

 Another muffin variation, fitting to the season. If you grow zucchinis, you are well aware of this phenomenon: gargantuan zucchinis that appear in your garden virtually overnight. The tiny little zucchinis that you spy one day take on epic proportions while you sleep. You become the zucchini fairy of your neighborhood  gracing your neighbours front porches with your excess zucchini, and run before they can tell you “NO MORE!”
Experience has FINALLY taught me to only grow 2 plants, and to keep an eagle eye on them daily. When they are nice and tiny,(like the yellow one) they make an awesome salad when sliced paper thin with a mandolin  and marinated with a bit of sea salt. They also make tasty zucchini chips in the dehydrator, with lime and chili powder…yum! The ones that escape notice, and become Godzilla sized, are better used in a recipe like this. 



Grain Free Zucchini Coconut Muffins

1 c. almond flour/meal
6 Tbsp. coconut flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. sea salt
½ c of milk
¼  c coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup coconut sugar
5 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp allspice
½ tsp ginger
1 cup shredded zucchini, squeezed to get rid of some moisture
½ cup coconut flakes plus 1 tbsp

Put all ingredients except zucchini and coconut in a large mixing bowl, combine thoroughly with immersion blender. (I am sure you could put everything into a blender and whiz till well combined)
Add zucchini and first amount of coconut,  and stir to combine
Scoop into muffin tin lined with papers (or greased) about 2/3 full. (Should fill 12)
Sprinkle second amount of coconut flakes on to muffin tops.
Bake at 350 degrees for  25-27 minutes.
Let cool in pan for 5 min before removing to cooling rack.