This is my second attempt at making these, an adaptation of a recipe I found on Primal Kitchen. They are made with almond and coconut, and hence are gluten and grain free, and sweetened with honey or Sweet Freedom. The recipe called for vanilla extract and also some vanilla bean, which I thought would be lovely if you’re a vanilla fan, but I’m not a huge lover of it, so I adapted it to my tastes.I added some almond essence, for a more almondy kick, and instead of mixing warm water with the honey, I used rosewater instead, giving them a lovely Middle Eastern flavour. I thought they would also be nice with orange flower water, and maybe some grated orange zest if you like a citrus tang.
Here’s my recipe for paleo macaroons flavoured with rosewater – the recipe makes between 15-20 macaroons, depending how big you like them.
Macaroons
2 tbsp. honey or Sweet Freedom
4 tbsp. rosewater
1 tsp. almond essence
1 cup shredded coconut (I used Crazy Jacks, because they don’t use sulphites)
1 cup ground almonds
2 egg whites
Pinch of sea salt
Topping
Sweet Freedom or honey
Flaked almonds
Mix the honey and the rosewater until combined. Then mix in the almonds and coconut, salt, and the almond essence, then mix in the egg whites, until everything is combined. Chill in the fridge for 15 mins.
Line a baking tray with baking paper. Roll mixture into balls roughly the size of a golf ball – you could go for slightly larger ones if you like, but the cooking time would have to increase a bit.
Drizzle a little of the Sweet Freedom or honey on top of the macaroons and press a couple of flaked almonds on to each one.
Bake for 12-15 mins until golden on the top. I have a pretty fierce fan oven, so I baked them around 17o degrees, but if you don’t have a furnace like mine, I reckon around 180-190 should do the trick.
I love these, and so does my OH, who is definitely not one for “health food”, so if he eats them by the bucketload, it’s usually a good indication that they don’t taste like they’re good for you. I really like them – they’re not too sweet, but they will take the edge off any sweet craving I get during the work day, and they are great to take on hikes and days out because they’re light and easily portable.
I did use Sweet Freedom in these – not sure how “paleo” Sweet Freedom is, it is basically fructose I guess, and I know there is some debate about whether various sweeteners are ok or not, but I have been experimenting with it as a sugar substitute and it seems to taste OK. It doesn’t have the strong flavour of honey, which you don’t necessarily always want in your baking. It’s cheaper and lower calorie, and lower GI than agave nectar or sugar, and probably about the same price as honey, although again it’s lower in calories if that concerns you. But use raw honey if you want a more “pure paleo” recipe.
I was worried that going grain free would mean having to pretty much give up baking, but baking with almonds and coconut have offered an avenue that I think I’m going to enjoy exploring, if they turn out like these babies!
Panda's Kitchen 