Chocolate Almond-Coconut Macaroons

Today I experimented with making a macaroon cookie using the beautiful shredded unsweetened coconut I purchased recently from Tropical Traditions (they call them "coconut flakes").  It looks more like the longer shreds of coconut that I am used to using (minus the sugar) instead of the short, very dry pulverized "shredded" unsweetened coconut that I've found and purchased at my local grocery stores.  I snapped a photo of both kinds that I have so you can see the difference I am talking about.  One of my favorite combination of flavors is chocolate, coconut and roasted almonds (much like the flavors in Almond Joy candy bars).  So, I decided to make chocolate macaroons with coarsely chopped roasted almonds.  I made a small batch of 12 to test them out, and really don't want a lot more of them hanging around since my taste for "sweets" (even without sugar and wheat) is drastically reduced.  After the first couple of months of eliminating wheat, grains and sugar, I found that I just didn't crave them any more.  I enjoy them as more of an occasional indulgence rather than a daily or regular one.

In this recipe, I measured 1/4 cup of whole almonds (that I roasted on low heat in the oven for about 20 minutes to bring out their roasty/toasty flavor).  I coarsely chopped them by pulsing them slightly in my little Magic Bullet, but you could also chop them coarsely by hand too.  I used Ghirardelli's 100% cacao unsweetened "premium baking bar" as well as their "premium unsweetened cocoa" for the chocolate in this recipe.  To compensate for using unsweetened chocolate instead of semi-sweet or bittersweet, I added some alcohol free liquid stevia drops.  For me personally, it is the only liquid stevia that I really like because it has used to have no bitterness (they changed their formula in 2013).  I learned about it from another low carb site and blogger several years ago and began using it because they highly recommended it, and after trying it for myself, agreed.  I have also tried the "stevia glycerite" that's recommended and used regularly on another site and I just don't care for the taste or texture of it at all whatsoever.  You may have a particular brand or type that you prefer, so just substitute that in this recipe.  I like to state what kind of products I actually use in my recipes if I think that they actually make a difference in the way the final product will taste or turn out.  As most of us that use sugar substitutes already know too well, they are vastly different in taste (or aftertaste).  There are some you really like and some you really don't.  For granular sweeteners, I have successfully used Truvia, Zsweet, and Swerve and also have a bag of NuNaturals erythritol and a bottle of their pure stevia powder that I have not yet tried.  There is also a small bag of xylitol on the shelf that I haven't tried yet -- partly because of the stomach issues it causes in some people as well as the danger to pets.

These macaroons contain no added sugar, wheat or grains.  I intentionally reduced the Swerve by about 1 tablespoon in my batch since my "sweet tooth" is so drastically reduced now.  I've included the full amount in the recipe below.  Both hubby and I really liked these Chocolate Almond-Coconut Macaroons.  We found them slightly crispy on the outside and slightly chewy on the inside.  Besides getting the chewy/crunchy texture of the coconut, you also get the additional nutty crunch and toasty flavor of the roasted almonds all coated with the flavor of rich dark chocolate.  Even though my hubby is not wheat, grain and sugar free, he commented that "these are some of the best things you've ever made and they don't taste any different than you'd expect from ordinary macaroons".  Coming from him (someone that still consumes/enjoys wheat and sugar) speaks even more loudly to me because he still found these absolutely delicious too.  I've snapped a few photos below as well as the recipe.  Enjoy!

Voila!

This is the coconut I used in these macaroons

This is the liquid stevia I prefer I don't like any more (they changed the formula in 2013) -- Notice the coconut comparison (on the left is what I find in my grocery store and the coconut on the right is what I purchased from Tropical Traditions)

Shredded coconut, melted chocolate, cocoa powder and Swerve

Close-up pic of the batter

"Uncooked macaroons" ready to be popped in the oven

Out of the oven and cooled

BOOM!

Chocolate Almond-Coconut Macaroons

INGREDIENTS:

1 oz. Ghirardelli 100% Cacao Unsweetened Chocolate Baking Bar (total 2 squares)

1/8 cup (which is 2 tablespoons) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (I use Ghirardelli)

1/4 cup PLUS 1/8 cup egg whites (or Egg Beater type substitute)

1/4 cup PLUS 2 tablespoons Swerve sweetener (total of 6 tablespoons Swerve   

      sweetener or equivalent to 6 tablespoons of sugar)

14-21 drops liquid stevia (or sweetener equivalent to 2-3 teaspoons sugar)

Pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup roasted whole unsalted almonds, coarsely chopped

1-1/4 cups shredded unsweetened coconut (longer shreds if you can find them)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  In a small glass custard cup or bowl, melt chocolate in the microwave for about 1 to 1-1/2 minutes (do this in 30 second intervals), stirring just until melted and smooth.  Be careful not to overheat and burn or scorch the chocolate.  This can also be done in a double boiler over hot water on the stove, if preferred.

In a medium bowl, add egg whites (or Egg Beaters/substitute), sifted cocoa powder, Swerve sweetener (or sweetener of choice), pinch of salt and vanilla extract; whisk well to combine thoroughly.   Add approximately 14 to 21 drops of liquid stevia (or liquid sweetener equivalent to 2 to 3 teaspoons of sugar) and whisk in well. 

Stir in shredded coconut, coarsely ground roasted almonds, and cooled melted chocolate, folding in quickly with a rubber spatula until everything is well coated and blended (blend quickly so the melted chocolate does not begin hardening when hitting the cooler mixture). 

Drop by rounded teaspoons onto a cookie sheet lined with non-stick foil or parchment paper, spaced approximately 1 inch apart.  Bake at 325 F for approximately 15-17 minutes or just until set when touched.  Let cool completely on cookie sheet.  Makes 1 dozen macaroons.

***Note:  If you don't have liquid egg whites or substitute, you can use the egg white of 2 eggs. Also, if you like your macaroons softer, reduce baking time by a minute or 2.  If you like them sweeter or less sweet you can add or reduce the amount of sweetener used.