Chocolate Coconut Macaroons - Gluten, Dairy, Egg and Soy Free

Chocolate Coconut Macaroons

Gluten, Dairy, Egg and Soy Free!

This recipe is a combination of 2 great macaroon recipes I have, a gluten free coconut macaroon recipe from The Flying Apron and a RAW chocolate macaroon recipe from my Aunt.  

Preheat oven to 350

In mixing bowl add the following

 6 cups shredded coconut 

(unsweetened if you want it healthier...I used sweeted because that's what I had)

1 cup cocoa powder or raw cacoa powder if you have it

1 cup Maple Syrup (real maple syrup!)

1 cup coconut milk

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp sea salt

2/3 cup gluten free flour (whatever blend you have or just use rice flour)

Combine all ingredients together until combined.  

Take a cookie scoop and pack with coconut mixture and then release onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

Option- Press a raw almond into the top of each cookie, or press a couple straight into the cookie

Bake for about 15 minutes and then let cool completely on cookie sheet.

~My entry into {nifty thrifty sunday}http://www.niftythriftythings.com/ is sponsored by Appliances Online and their Fridges

Valentine's 2.0 Felt Heart Cookie Set

Valentine's Day Post 2.0

Felt Heart Cookie Set

and

Valentine's Day  Fun

My friend found this super cute felt cookie tutorial on pinterest (I think) and we decided to do it last night, just in time for Valentine's Day for our girls.

 

J said it was a wonderful gift!

My brother is arriving tonight for a visit before he goes off to start training for the AF Para Rescue program and so we cut out lots of hearts and the kids spend forever decorated them all for him and then J carefully, thoughfully placed them all around his room he'll be staying in the surprise him...

We also had an impromptu playdate with our friends and they made necklaces together gluing a heart doiley on a paper heart, then adding a sticker, ribbon and we took their picture and printed and cut out and glued to the back...and they decorated and ate Valentine's cupcakes

And here are the crossword puzzle valentine's we made and passed out at the retirement home with our MOPS group

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

Gluten Free Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Classic Chocolate Chunk Cookies

only gluten free and dairy free!

So we've been having more fun with our Cooking For Isaiah Gluten Free & Dairy Free cookbook! We had friends over for a BBQ and I made these Chocolate Chunk Cookies and our guests said they never would have guessed they weren't made like any other cookies if we hadn't told them.  I was really happy because I have missed eating a homemade chocolate chip cookie for a long time.  I've tried the Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix at the store and it was okay, but in my opinion it was expensive, didn't yield very  many cookies and they were pretty gritty.  These cookies were just like your traditional chocolate chip cookies, crisp on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside.  I REALLY enjoyed these.  I used Silvana's Gluten Free Flour Blend from the Book and used Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks I found at Super Target, I think it was the store brand called Marketplace or something like that, I checked the ingredients and no dairy.  I also have started using The Best Life buttery baking sticks by Bob Greene as a airy free butter substitute.  I was previously using Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks, but since we moved I haven't figured out where to buy them and then my husband went to Walmart the other day and found The Best Life Diet buttery baking sticks and they were basically the same thing as the Earth Balance ones...but cheaper!  In the Chocolate Chunk recipe in the book, she calls for vegetable shortening, but I just used the buttery baking sticks and I think it didn't make a difference.  They were good!

 

Cooking For Isaiah 

Gluten Free & Dairy Free

 

Cherry Christmas Cookies - "Noel Cookies"

 

Cherry Christmas Cookies

Well, I didn't have much planned for baking this year as we are on our own and didn't have a lot of people to share the baked goods with, but I did want to surprise my hubby and make one of his favorite Christmas cookies.  His mom always made these Cherry Christmas Cookies, or "Noel Cookies".  She got her recipe from a magazine in the 70s and and cut it out and saved it all these years, but last year she lost it so I had to search the internet to find something similar.  She said this recipe sounded pretty close to the one she used all those years..I'm sure it won't be "the same" but they sure look and smell good!  I found this recipe on AllRecipes.com HERE.  As for the original recipe, she thinks it was either from Country Home or Family Circle in the mid 70s so if anyone out there actually has that recipe, please let me know!!!  It's a family tradition!

Cherry Shortbread Cookies

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 cup chopped cherries
• 1 cup butter

(I only made half the recipe since only my hubby can eat them with the butter in them.  I also added 1/2 tsp vanilla and used chopped maraschino cherries.)

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
2. Cream butter and confectioners' sugar together. Add the cornstarch and flour and mix well. Stir in the chopped cherries. Drop teaspoonfuls of the dough onto a cookie sheet then press with tines of a floured fork.
3. Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) until lightly golden, about 10 to 15 minutes.