Coconut macaroons

©seitanismymotor 2010

Maybe some of you remember my experiment with psyllium husk as an egg replacer in recipes which call for many eggs. I used it as an egg substitute in a gluten-free bread recipe.

I have been on a quest to come up with a satisfying recipe for coconut macaroons for quite some time now. Before going vegan, I used to make these cookies every year for Christmas. I didn’t have the best baking skills or to be precise, I didn’t have much interesting in baking. So I didn’t want to spend hours in the kitchen to mix together ingredients and cut out cookies. Yes, that was my weird reasoning. Therefore I used to make coconut macaroons. They called only for three ingredients: shredded dried coconut, egg whites, and sugar. So I didn’t have to do much shopping, mixing was done in a couple of minutes, I could just drop them onto the cookie sheet and I was done. Plus, I didn’t have to clean up many dishes.

Over the years, I started to really like coconut macaroons and they became my favourite cookie. I tried to veganize them a couple of times but they never came out the way I had imagined.

This time they came out really great. I used psyllium husk instead of the egg whites and it did bind together everything really well. I also used some coconut flour for this recipe. Both the psyllium husk and the coconut flour absorb a lot of water so that the macaroons stay soft and moist just like the ones made with egg whites.

Psyllium Husk

I can find these husks at my local Indian market. Every time I buy them, the woman at the store nods and looks at me sympathetically. One day I have to tell her that I don’t have a problem with my bowels, but that I am just buying an egg replacer.

This is the brand I buy. The package is pretty funny:

Telephone Brand Psyllium Husk

Coconut Macaroons (makes 30 cookies)

2 tablespoons psyllium husk
200 g (1 cup) sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup coconut flour (I use this brand)
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup water
1/2 to 1 teaspoon lime juice (to taste, optional)
1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1 pinch salt
200 g (2 cups) finely shredded dried coconut

Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Pulverize the psyllium husk (I used my coffee grinder). Transfer to a bowl and add water. Mix and add remaining ingredients except for the dried coconut. Mix well and fold in coconut. Knead with your hands for one minute or until everything is well combined. Form macaroons with your hands and place on baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, until the bottoms are medium brown.

Remove from oven and let cool on a rack. The cookies are now crispy and a little bit tough. If you like them soft like me, store them in an airtight plastic container. They will soften after 30 minutes or so. You can also just let them sit on the counter over night.

Not only I was in the mood for sweets. Several days ago P bought some honeycomb candy. I told him that I had seen a recipe for it somewhere and that you make it by adding baking soda to molten sugar. This seemed to  interest him very much and he asked me for a recipe. I couldn’t find it. This morning I found P in the kitchen looking up recipes on the internet. Here’s the result. And the best thing is, P’s version is vegan (his storebought stuff wasn’t).

P's honeycomb candy

You can find the recipe P used here. Instead of corn syrup, he used agave syrup. He also used muscovado sugar instead of regular sugar.