Been meaning to post this recipe since Easter and the Passover Seder we celebrated at church.  Macaroons are a traditional Passover dessert, and I made a bunch of them that week.  I’ve only become a fan of coconut in recent years, but now I’m fairly nuts over coconut ~ coconut milk, coconut oil, and just plain old shredded coconut. By the way, coconuts are not nuts at all.  They are seeds ~ very large seeds, that is.  Have you tried the new Mocha Coconut Frappucino at Starbucks?  Oh. My.  It is so good, and even topped with toasted coconut.  (I get mine with only ONE pump of mocha and ONE pump of coconut syrup, and it is still so sweet ~ almost too sweet for me.  Getting the regular 4 PUMPS OF EACH might just put me in some sort of sugar shock!)  

I do NOT, however, like coconut water AT ALL.

 

Macaroons also remind me of my grandmother, Memo.  On our trips out to see her in Uvalde, Texas, we would always stop at Haby’s Bakery in Castroville, Texas.  My dad would purchase macaroons for Memo, and Cowboy Cookies for us kids.  This was long before we discovered the whole Celiac Disease thing, and we thoroughly enjoyed this stop which was not complete without a cherry Coke from Sammy’s Restaurant across highway 90. 

(Talk about sugar shock ~ and gluten too.)

Well, my grown-up and gluten free tastes have changed quite a bit, and now I would even prefer the macaroon to the cowboy cookie.  These are naturally gluten and dairy free!

3 egg whites

1/8 tsp salt

1/3 cup sugar

2 cups shredded sweetened coconut

1/3 cup raw slivered almonds

1/3 cup ground almonds ~ or almond meal/flour

1 tsp lemon zest

1/2 tsp vanilla

melted chocolate & sliced almonds to top ~ if desired. (Don’t know why you wouldn’t!)

Best egg whites until they will form firm peaks, adding the sugar and salt as you go. Fold in remaining ingredients.  Drop by spoonfuls onto greased baking sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes at 325 degrees.