Raw Chocolate Almond Macaroons - Great Raw Dessert For Passover Or Easter

Process almonds in a food processor.

Add salt and raw cacao or cocoa and process until blended.

Blend in agave nectar, almond extract and coconut butter.

Add shredded coconut and pulse until combined.

Scoop macaroons onto a Teflex sheet and dehydrate.

Unrefined, "virgin", coconut oil.

Dried organic shredded coconut.

Macaroons

Macaroons are my husbands favorite cookie. Whenever we go to "Slice of LIfe, our favorite vegetarian restaurant where we live in Sebastopol, Doug always buys one of their chocolate dipped macaroons on the way out and savors it all the way home. While making almond milk for my last posting, I took the residiue almond pulp, threw in some coconut and stevia and dehydrated it to see what would happen. Unfortunately the result tasted like saw dust so I kept experimenting until I had much better results. The next time I started with soaked almonds instead of pulp (although I think pulp would work, I just didn't have any more), some cocoa for intensity, agave nectar for sweetness and a touch of salt. They looked great but I dehydrated them too long and they were so hard you could break a tooth while trying to eat one. In round three I added some almond extract for an even more interesting flavor and a little coconut butter to keep the cookies from drying out. This finally resulted in a delicious macaroon that received Doug's seal of approval!

Tropical Oils

I am not yet ready to jump into the debate over tropical oils. On one hand, you've got a contingent that believes that tropical oils (coconut and palm oils) can help you lose weight , build energy and help you fight disease. On the other side of the argument you have those who focus on their high content of saturated fat which conventional wisdom tells you to avoid. Personally, I don't avoid tropical oils but I eat them sparingly. I will continue to watch for data that proves the many health claims made about them before I voice a strong opinion. In any case, enjoy this recipe as a "holiday treat", not a health food to consume in large quantities every day.

Great Dessert for Passover or Easter

Macaroons are a popular Passover dessert since they are made without flour. But the Easter bunny could enjoy these just as much!

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Raw Chocolate Almond Macaroons

[makes 18 small cookies]

1/2 cup raw almonds, soaked overnight and rinsed

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons raw cacao or cocoa

1/3 cup raw agave nectar

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 tablespoon organic, unrefined virgin coconut oil

1 cup dried, unsweetened shredded coconut

Process almonds in a food processor until they are the size of crumbs. Add salt and cocoa and process again until combined. Add agave nectar, almond extract and coconut oil and process until smooth. Add shredded coconut and pulse to combine. Scoop out scant tablespoons of the mixture onto a Teflex dehyrator sheet using a melon baller or small ice cream scoop. You could also just use a tablespoon. In about 4 hours, when they are easily removed from the Teflex sheet, transfer the macaroons directly on the dehydrator screen. Dehydrate at 115 degrees until they are hardened on the outside but still soft and chewy on the inside. This could take as little as 8 hours total or if you want them a little drier, dehydrate for a few more hours. Just pop one in your mouth while dehydrating until you like the consistency. Hopefully there will be some left by the time they are done!

Per macaroon: 81.2 calories, 5.8 g fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1.2 g protein, 7.1 g carbohydrates and 1.3 g of fiber.