Coconut Macaroons

These little babies are the last recipe I whipped-up in preparation for our summer vacation. I made a long list of ideas for paleo family dinners at the beach (don't worry, you'll see some of  them here soon), but I had to test the desserts in advance. Baking with coconut can be tricky (I had a bunch of failed attempts at the pineapple cake before it was finally ready for prime time, and I'm still working on a satisfying cobbler topping).

CavePies really are the only dessert that I've completely mastered. So, you can imagine how excited I was when this recipe worked on the first try.

I was inspired by a recipe for tropical macaroons that I found online. But that recipe called for pineapple, which violates the first (and most important) beach house dessert criteria. Because I keep a container of pitted dates on hand, I thought they would be a natural (ha! get it?) replacement for the pineapple's sweetness. I increased the liquid and crossed my fingers.

Macaroons are either a very forgiving dessert, or I am a very lucky CaveGirl (hopefully the second). So now I am passing that luck on to you.

Coconut Macaroons

Each one is three coconut-y bites.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut

6 dates, pitted

2 egg whites

2 tablespoons coconut oil

2 tablespoons coconut milk

Coconut oil spray

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, process dates until they become a sticky paste. Add egg whites, coconut oil, and coconut milk. Process until completely combined (you may have to scrape the date paste off the sides of the food processor bowl). Add shredded coconut and pulse to combine. Remove mixture to a separate bowl and let stand 5 minutes. 

Grease a baking sheet with coconut oil spray. Roll macaroon dough into evenly-sized balls and place on baking sheet. Press gently into the pan to flatten the bottoms. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown. About 25 to 30 minutes. Makes 8-10.