Gluten-Free Coconut Chia Macaroons

Sorry for the long absence. I decided to take a short break from this blog for a few months because of my busy schedule. Volleyball practices ended a few weeks ago, and because I love baking for my team, I have a variety of delicious recipes waiting to be posted!!! With practices and tournaments over and a class that I was taking at John Jay College ending, I’ll have more time to post. Hopefully after my final exams and my project based assessments/PBAs (my public schools opts out of standardized testing and instead tests knowledge through difficult essays, projects and presentations), I will resume my weekly postings!!

I recently saved my babysitting earnings to buy myself photography lighting equipment, and I am hoping to slowly improve the quality of my foodography over the next months. I’m looking forward to “revamping” my website this summer. Much more to come!!!

I decided to repost these macaroons with a new and improved recipe and photos. This recipe is simple, perfect for a snack on a cool spring day, and absolutely delicious. I’ve found that lots of sweet desserts often have an artificial and un-natural taste to them. I love how these macaroons lack those qualities and always taste wholesome and delicious. Definitely a healthier (and gluten-free) alternative to cookies!!

ENJOY!

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup softened butter

1 cup sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 cup sifted coconut flour (Specifically Trader joe’s)

2 cups Shredded Sweetened Coconut

1 tablespoon of Chia Seeds

 

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly grease a baking sheet
2. Lightly blend the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla together. Stir in the coconut flour, shredded coconut and the chia seeds.
3. The mixture shouldn’t be wet, like a batter. If the mixture is not dry, add additional flour.
4. Drop tablespoon sized scoops (using a tablespoon or a cookie scoop) onto the baking sheet. The macaroons don’t expand, so don’t worry about placing them close together.
5. Bake for 12-15 Minutes or until golden brown. The coconut flakes protruding from the macaroons will be significantly darker (see image above). Immediately transfer to a cooling rack and let sit until cool.

Love,

Ally!!

Fall Chicken and Pumpkin Soup

I’m sure a ‘pumpkin pattern’ is starting to reveal itself on my blog this year. Pumpkin, being a vital symbol to Fall spirit, is one of my favorite items right now; not only in cooking and baking. My bathroom hand-soap is pumpkin scented, we have pumpkin pie and cinnamon flavored candles all over our apartment, and my dad just brought home pumpkin almond milk and pumpkin Cheerios from the grocery store.

This A-M-A-Z-I-N-G soup is the perfect pumpkin dish. It is unique and my dad said “It’s the first dish I can say is better than my Halloween chili!!” (A compliment that I never thought I’d hear him offer). The flavor of the pumpkin is subtle enough that it doesn’t overshadow the other ingredients but is strong enough to make the soup very full-flavored and interesting. The spices give this hearty dish a strong eccentric flavor that is memorable and a perfect representation of Fall cooking. After helping ourselves to seconds (despite being full), we decided that this recipe will become a Fall regular in our home. I hope you enjoy as much as I did!!!

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium yellow onion

2 cloves garlic

5 cups chicken broth

1 large chicken breast (3/4 lb.)

1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin pureé

1 (15 oz.) can black beans

½ cup frozen corn kernels

1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

1 Tbsp cumin

½ tsp salt

½ bunch fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add both to a large soup pot along with the olive oil and sauté over medium heat until the onions are translucent (3-5 min.)
2. Add the chicken breast (whole) and chicken broth. Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to high, and allow it to come to a full boil. As soon as it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low and allow the pot to simmer for 30 minutes. Make sure the pot does not stop simmering after turning down the heat. If it does, increase the heat slightly until it is gently simmering.
3. After 30 minutes, remove the chicken breast from the broth and use two forks to shred the meat. Return the shredded meat to the pot.
4. Add the pumpkin purée and stir until the it has mixed into the broth.
5. Take one or two chipotle peppers from the can (one pepper for a milder soup, two for a spicier soup) and mince them. Add the minced peppers and about a teaspoon of the adobo sauce from the can to the soup.
6. Rinse the black beans and add them to the soup, along with the frozen corn kernels and cumin. Allow the soup to come up to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes more to allow the flavors to blend.
7. Taste the soup and add about ½ teaspoon of salt if desired. Roughly chop the cilantro and stir it into the soup just before serving.

Love,

Ally

I give an immense amount of credit to Budget Bites, for this flavorful and incredible soup (http://www.budgetbytes.com/2013/08/chicken-pumpkin-soup/)