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!!

Lemon Bars with Smooth Lemon Glaze

The moment I LOVE the summer most seems to always be in the middle of the winter. Although drinking hot drinks, wearing cute boots and cozying up to watch a movie may sound fun from afar, by the time February rolls around, all I want to do is lay on a beach somewhere sipping iced tea. As this winter has progressed, my desire to cook and bake winter dishes has slowly decreased, and I’ve evidently begun to make fruity and sweet dishes once again.

On that note, I wanted to make something summery and lemony. I decided to bake lemon bars with a twist. I made a tart lemon glaze and spread it over the top of the lemon bars, adding a unique, zesty kick. Since lemon bars are already so sweet, adding the sour glaze didn’t change the level of tartness, but perfectly complimented the flavor of the actual lemon bars making everything more smooth, balanced, and flavorful.

 

INGREDIENTS

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 lemons, juiced

Glaze

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoons lemon zest

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, blend together softened butter, 2 cups flour and 1/2 cup sugar. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9×13 inch pan.
3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm and golden.
4. While the crust is baking, whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/4 cup flour. Whisk in the eggs and lemon juice. When the crust is done, pour evenly over the top.
5. Bake for an additional 20 minutes in the preheated oven. The bars will continue to firm as they cool. Let cook in the pan and then cup into squares.
6. To make the glaze, whisk the confectioners sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice together until smooth.
7. Pour the glaze over the top of each lemon bar square. Cover the bars fully with the glaze as a top layer.
8. Enjoy!!!

Love,

Ally