Coconut Macaroons

I have not always been a fan of coconut - but for Christmas I received a tin of "Jennies" Coconut Macaroons. They were TOO die for and not easy to resist. That said, I decided to try my hand a making my own version - tweaking and adding macadamia nuts and craisins. While I will need to play with this a bit to find the perfect end product, I am in the meantime, quite satisfied with the result. For those of you who wanted the recipe - here you go!

Coconut Macaroons
Yield: 24 – 36 based on size

Ingredients
3 cups organic coconut (if you use large flake variety, you might want to consider chopping it a bit finer)
4 organic egg whites
½ cup coconut cane sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon sea salt
** ½ cup of chopped macadamia nuts
** ½ cup of craisins

Equipment
Baking sheet
Silpat or parchment paper
Mixer (love my Kitchen Aid)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1.Toast the coconut (optional) – for extra crispy macaroons and a rich coconut flavored cookie, spread coconut on the baking sheet and toast for approximately 5 minutes – or- until coconut is showing a bit of color. Cool slightly.

2.Beat the egg whites, sugar, vanilla, add salt towards the end when the egg whites are stiff and fluffy.

3.Combine the coconut and egg white mixture, blending well, add the macadamia nuts and craisins, blend well.

4.Shaping the macaroons – line baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper. Shape the coconut mixture into small balls (play with the size you want, they don’t spread too much). If they are sticking to your hands, lightly coat your hands with coconut oil spray.

5.Space them an inch apart on a baking sheet.

6.Bake for 15 – 20 minutes until golden brown. I did 15 minutes, could have gone a bit longer for a crispier version. Your call as to the finished product.

7.Cool macaroons for 5 minutes, remove to a wire rack and cool completely.

8.Can store in an airtight container – for a week (or longer).

Last but not least - as Julia would say Bon Appetit!!

Chai Tea

I came across a recipe for Chai Tea several years back. Played with it a bit and came up with this formula. Last year following the holidays, I decided to do a cleanse. One of the requirements of the de-tox cleanse was "no coffee". In an effort to wean myself off of coffee, but still wanting something with a small hit of caffeine, I started making a batch of this weekly. The following recipe makes 64 oz after brewing and steeping and lasts me a week. Top it off with a bit of almond milk or rice milk after warming it up. Fact - I don't miss coffee at all and I like this as much as "Oregon Chai".

Chatty’s Chai Tea Recipe

• 12 cups of filtered water
• 8 tablespoons of loose black tea
(I use a blend of Assam, Lapsang Soouchong and Black Jasmine)
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar, date sugar or raw cane sugar
• 2 vanilla beans, split in half to expose the beans
• 25 whole cloves
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 25 cardamom pods
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg (or a piece of fresh)
• 4-5 whole star anise pods
• 1/2 teaspoon of whole black peppercorns
• 1 inch (or more depending on your taste) of fresh ginger, sliced thin
• 1 tablespoon of orange zest ( I use 2- 4 fresh orange slices)
• 1 -2 tablespoons of raw honey (use to your taste)

Place cardamom, cloves, nutmeg and peppercorns in a tea ball. Place loose tea in a tea ball.

Bring water to a boil in a 4 quart sauce pan; add sugar to a medium sized sauce, add the tea balls, vanilla bean, anise pods, cinnamon sticks, boil for 5 minutes; reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, remove tea and continue to steep with spices to desired flavor. Remove large spices (vanilla etc) and pour through strainer/sieve. Keep in the refrigerator for one week max. If you want to stretch your vanilla bean, star anise and cinnamon sticks, reserve them for the next use. I put them in a small mason jar and let them air dry. This can help cut back on costs, but still achieve the spicy flavor of this recipe.