Macaroons

Cookies!

I've been experimenting wildly with cookie recipes for a while now, and I've been unhappy with most of the results I've gotten over the past year. The majority of my cookies turn out very... pancake-y? Puffed, flat, a little elastic... Not sure how quite to describe them. They are tasty enough; but Wrong, and definitely not what I have in mind when I want a cookie. I've been sticking to half-batches, so the experiments are not a huge waste, and I've found that no matter how Wrong as a cookie, most of the dough does very well in alternate forms. One of my favorite ways to use it up? I spread 2T. into a small dish and microwave for about a minute, and voila! Instant crusts for whatever berries I have on hand with a dollop of cream, or a scoop of homemade ice cream. Tasty, too! But still, I'd like to make honest-to-goodness cookies, especially with the holidays approaching.

So, here is one version that I thought turned out very nicely! If you eat these while they are still hot, they taste great--- BUT give them 20 minutes to cool completely and they get beautifully crispy and crunchy around the edges, while staying soft and chewy in the center. This is an effect I had been yet totally unable to achieve without sugar/flour, so I'm excited!

Chocolate Chunk Macaroons, low-carb, gluten-free.

I made these with chocolate chunks (I've been loving Frey Supreme Noir Authentique 78% from Target-- $2/bar and only 4gr. net carbs for nearly half the bar and very tasty without the dustiness of Lindt 85%), but you can leave them out if you like. I'm interested in trying these with anise, or dipped in chocolate. Yay, macaroons; and just in time for the Festival of Lights!

Macaroons

• 1 T. coconut oil
• 1/2 c. butter, softened
• 3/4 c. erythritol, powdered (I use my coffee grinder)
  
• 1/2 t. blackstrap molasses
• 16 dr. stevia extract
• 1 egg
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 1/2 t. almond extract
  
  
• 2/3 c. almond flour
• 1/3 c. whey protein concentrate
• 1/2 t. xanthan gum
• 2 T. coconut flour
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1 c. shredded, unsweetened coconut (I use the small/medium shred)
• 1/3 c. chocolate chunks (about half of a 3.5oz bar, broken up), optional

Cream butter, coconut oil, and powdered erythritol together till light and fluffy. Beat in molasses, stevia, vanilla and almond extracts, and egg till very thoroughly combined.

In a seperate bowl, combine almond flour, whey protein, xanthan gum, coconut flour, salt, and baking soda. Add incrementally to the butter/sugar mixture, combining well after each addition. Stir in shredded coconut. Stir in chocolate chunks, if using.

Transfer dough to a airtight container or wrap well in plastic/waxed paper and chill for at least 30 min. Form the stiff dough into rough 1" rounds, flattening slightly (so they look like tiny hockey pucks!). Bake on parchment paper for 8-10 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from oven, slide parchment/cookies together onto countertop and allow to cool.

Makes 36 cookies at less than 1 gr. net carb per cookie. (Entire recipe is 24 gr. net, after fiber and sugar alcohols are subtracted. Knock 4 gr. from that total if you leave out the chocolate chunks.)