Coconut-Almond Macaroons with Apricot Topping

To download a cookbook style copy of the recipe for Coconut-Almond Macaroons with Apricot, click HERE.

It seems fair to say that the macaroons with which most people are familiar are the pasty, bland kind that are mass-produced and sold in cans. And that’s a great shame, because really outstanding macaroons – soft, sweet and flavorful – are one of the easiest treats you can make in your kitchen.

Not to be confused with macarons, their meringue-based French cousins, macaroons are coconut, beaten egg whites, sugar and (usually) chopped almonds combined with a few other simple ingredients to make a delicious can’t-eat-just-one delight. And this week’s recipe goes even further and adds the unusual (and highly yummy!) topping of apricot preserves. (It’s also worth noting that one simple ingredient swap turns these macaroons from a year-round treat to a perfect Passover cookie better – and less expensive - than any you can buy.)

Here are the ingredients you’ll need: 3 Tbsp flour (for Passover use Passover Cake Meal); ½ tsp salt, divided; ¾ cup sugar; zest of one orange; 3 egg whites; ¾ cup chopped or crushed almonds; 2-1/2 cups shredded coconut; and ½ cup apricot preserves.

This recipe makes about twenty-one 2” macaroons.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, combine the flour (or cake meal), ¼ tsp salt, sugar, and 1 Tbsp orange zest.

In another bowl, combine the egg whites with the remaining ¼ tsp salt. Beat until firm peaks form.

Add the flour mixture, a little at a time, to the beaten egg whites, mixing thoroughly after each addition.

When all of the flour mixture has been incorporated into the beaten egg whites, fold in the coconut and almonds.

Drop heaping tablespoons of the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicon baking pad.

Using a wet finger, form a well in each piece.

Bake for about 18 minutes or until lightly browned, turning the baking sheet half-way for even baking. When turning the baking sheet, sprinkle the remaining zest on the partially baked macaroons.

Let the macaroons cool on the baking sheet for two minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.

When the macaroons have cooled completely, fill each well with apricot preserves. (The macaroons will save well in an air tight container for a week.)

To download a cookbook style copy of the recipe for Coconut-Almond Macaroons with Apricot, click HERE. 

The best part is that after your this batch gets eaten up - and they will - it's easy to make more!

Thanks for visiting. Be sure to come again next week for another great recipe! Till they, stay well, keep it about the food, and always remember to kiss the cook. ;-)

Apricot Molten Lava Cake with Lemon Glaze

Welcoming new subscriber CatherineK to the Kissing the Cook family: it’s great to have you!

Molten lava cake: if you like delicious, whimsical desserts that are easy to make and fun to eat, it's one of the best.

There are many recipes for this classic dessert, and every I've looked at uses chocolate. Since my wife is allergic to chocolate, even to the smell of chocolate, I’m unable to cook with it. And so I took the lack of any recipes that weren’t chocolate as a personal challenge to create one, and a low-fat one at that. I decided on Apricot Molten Lava Cake with Lemon Glaze.

This was not done without a bit of trepidation. It’s one thing to put your own twist on an established food concept; it’s quite another to want to do something that’s unheard of. Jerry Seinfeld once said, “The road less traveled is usually less traveled for a reason,” and I’ve found there’s a lot of truth in that. (An earlier ill-advised attempt at another chocolate work-around - rice-krispy treats coated with butterscotch - comes to mind as just one example of what Mr. Seinfeld was referring to.) Still, the lava cake challenge was alluring, and somehow I knew it would work, and that adding the lemon glaze would give a nice contrast to the natural sweetness of the cake. I’m proud to report the delicious dessert below.

The ingredients, and the method for making the batter, are simple. (In overview, you’ll see that there are certain key substitutions for the usual lava-cake ingredients involved: apricot preserves instead of chocolate; fat-free Greek yogurt for egg-yolks; egg-substitute eggs for regular eggs; and butter substitute for butter.) The trick to making any lava cake work – moist cake on the outside; hot, tasty liquid filling on the inside – is in the baking time. Since this will vary somewhat from oven to oven, there’s a chance you may overcook these the first time, getting a nice, moist cake that tastes great but that is not liquid in the middle. Don’t be discouraged; eat them anyway and just remember to bake them a little less next time. (Remember, though, try to resist the temptation to eat them all. These are low-fat, not low-calorie.)

This recipe makes 6 large-muffin-size servings.

While preheating your oven to 425 degrees, melt 1-1/2 tablespoons of butter substitute, and use it to grease 6 ramekins or large muffin tins, then coat each with granulated sugar.

In a double boiler, melt 6 ounces of apricot preserves and 8 tablespoons of butter substitute, stirring gently and frequently. When they are melted and smooth, gradually stir in ½ cup of all-purpose flour, ¼ cup fat-free Greek yogurt, and 1-1/2 cups of confectioner’s sugar. When the mixture is combined and smooth set it aside.

In a bowl, use a hand-mixer to beat together 3 egg-substitute eggs and 1 teaspoon of vanilla until they are thick, about five minutes. Once that’s done, gently whisk the preserves mixture into the beaten egg mixture until they for a well-mixed batter.

Pour the batter into the ramekins or large size muffin tin. (The batter doesn’t rise much so you can fill them nearly to the top.) Bake them for 10 – 14 minutes (depending on your oven), turning half-way, until the tops are firm and the edges are just starting to brown. The first time you make these, you’ll want to be sure you keep an eye on them in the oven so that the inside of the cake stays liquid. As with any molten lava cake, the bake time is critical.

After removing the cakes from the oven, let them rest in the ramekins or muffin tin for 3 – 4 minutes. While the cakes are resting, combine 1 cup of confectioner’s sugar with 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice to form a glaze.

After the cakes have rested, run a butter knife around the edges of the ramekins or muffin tins to loosen them, and turn them out, as in the photo at right. Drizzle the tops and sides with glaze, and serve while warm.

I hope you enjoy this special treat. If you prefer a cookbook-style, notebook-ready copy of this recipe, just send me your e-mail address (if I don’t have it already) and it will be done!

(You can also find this and many other yummy desserts at  http://sweet-as-sugar-cookies.blogspot.com/, a great forum for all things sweet!)

See you next week! Till then, stay well, keep it about the food, and always remember to kiss the cook. ;-)

Electric Cranberry Sauce with Apples and Apricots

Aside from being easy to serve, canned, jellied cranberry sauce has this redeeming quality: eating it is such good-tasting fun that you forget it doesn’t have any other redeeming qualities. I confess, with just the right amount of righteous guilt, to being a big fan of the stuff.

Still, with Christmas dinner barreling toward us at high speed and us staring at it like a reindeer in the headlights, it seems as good a time as any for "electric cranberry sauce with apples and apricots." It's a delicious, easy, and just a bit grown-up cranberry sauce I think you’ll like.

In a cup or small bowl, soak ½ cup of chopped dried apricots in 1/3 cup of brandy while you prepare the other ingredients. (It's this touch of brandy that gives this sauce both its deep taste and the word "electric" in its name.)

Combine 2 cups of cranberries, 1 large chopped apple, the juice and zest of one orange, 1/2 cup of sugar, ¼ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon of nutmeg in a saucepan. Heat it to boiling, then reduce it to a simmer until the cranberries are tender and start to burst, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Combine 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water, and mix into the cranberry mixture, cooking until thickened. Add the apricots, including the brandy, and heat until cooked through and the smell of alcohol subsides, about 3 minutes. If necessary, add additional sugar to taste. (I've found adding another 3 tablespoons works for me, but you may like more or less.)

If you’d like a cookbook style, notebook-ready copy of this recipe, just let me know in a comment or e-mail and it will be on its way, guaranteed to arrive in time for Christmas.

See you next week! Till then, stay well, keep it about the food, and always remember to kiss the cook. ;-)