Coconut Macaroons

I love to bake when the weather gets cold. There is just something comforting about a warm oven and a house that smells like baking when it is snowing and cold outside. Why does this matter? Well the weather here sucks, it is cold and snowing and I am not ready for it to be the middle of winter just yet. Despite having almost my entire kitchen packed (that is right, I am moving in 4 days – why did I think moving in November was a good idea?) I decided that I needed to bake cookies. I needed something simple to make (I didn’t want to unpack 6 boxes to find the ingredients and pans for anything) and remembered coming across this recipe on the Kraft site. It was perfect – they look Christmassy, kind of like a snowball, and I love coconut.

Ingredients:
2 1/3 cups medium or flaked unsweetened coconut
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla
Chocolate (I used milk chocolate wafers for melting, but feel free to use whatever you want)

Directions:
1. In a bowl mix together the coconut, milk and vanilla. Once it is mixed together drop by teaspoonfuls onto a cookie sheet (I lined mine with parchment paper – no sticking!).
2. Bake at 350F for about 10 minutes – the edges will start to turn a golden brown. 3. Remove the cookies to cool on a wire rack (they will still be soft, but don’t worry, they will solidify as they cool).
4. Once the cookies are cool, melt the chocolate and dip the cookies as little or as much as you would like.

Reviews:
These were great cookies! I love how simple they were to make and how good they tasted. They nixed my cookie craving and gave me a nice hit of coconut – something I love in the winter. These cookies somehow made it to coworkers who have all enjoyed it. Actually the reason I am posting this 3 days before moving when I really should be finishing my packing is because so many people requested the recipe, it was easier just to put it here than try and get copies to everyone. So for everyone who wanted to try making these – I hope you enjoy them. I am now off to try and finish my packing and get organized for moving!

No Flour Fudge Cookies

I came across these cookies when looking at some gluten free recipes on King Arthur Flour one day (man I love that site), as a few friends and family members are celiac or at least gluten intolerant. These cookies looked amazing and I had to try them right away.

Ingredients:
2 ¼ cup powdered sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
3 lg egg whites
2 tsps vanilla extract

Instructions:
1.Preheat the oven to 350F and line the cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2.Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth (make sure you scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl).
3.Drop cookies on the cookie sheets (I used my cookie scoop, and that was a good size).
4.Bake for 8 minutes (the tops will be crackly but the cookies will still be very soft). Allow the cookies to cool on the pan before removing to a wire rack.

Reviews:

These cookies are completely addictive; I couldn’t get enough of them. They were fantastic, and I have made a few batches. The cookies were almost like fudge in the shape of a cookie. I did add some instant coffee powder to some of the cookies and these were also enjoyed very much.