Orange scented macaroons

I’ve becoming more than a little obsessed with coconut of late. My rather more glamorous friend visited recently from Sydney and brought all her lotions and potions along for the ride which made not only her smell delicious but our house as well. Her aura made its olfactory mark, let’s say. I was jealous. I wanted to waft about the house smelling divinely sweet and just a little bit less like the mother of a toddler. You mothers out there will know what I mean.

Short of investing in the mini-apothecary that my friend carries with her, I made sure I nosied about in her stash to find out the scented secret of my lust. There were a few things I would have loved to get my hands on, but one in particular struck me as both unusual and so scrumptious to the nostrils that I had to give it a go. What was it? Why the humble, pantry-stored, cook-em-up Coconut Oil. How I have yet to discover this apparent miracle substance is beyond me. How did I miss the boat on this one?? I’ve recently discovered that there are a million and one uses for coconut oil and as many benefits from smearing it on every corporal surface possible (including the interior). I’ll extoll the full list in another blog post, but suffice to say that it’s so good for the body that you could be forgiven for bathing in it every day. Though naturally you’d be a little greasier for it.

I’ve now taken to smearing my skin, head to toe, in this delicious substance twice daily after I shower. The first few times you do this you’ll find yourself sniffing your limbs every few minutes to fully inhale the intense coconuty delight that now resides on your epidermis. I smell like a Krispie biscuit 24/7 which is a very fine thing indeed.

All this skin-talk aside, the constant reminder of Krispie biscuits has made me crave coconut cookies. Not the packet, processed kind, but the homemade variety made from real ingredients with real goodness and flavour. So, I whipped these tasty little morsels up this morning to fulfil my wanton needs.

These macaroons are not the delicate, multi-coloured French variety but rather more of the Moroccan ilk which are chewy and tender and incredibly moreish. They’re made them with a mix of ground almonds and coconut, sweetened with honey and scented delicately with orange zest. Perfect for morning tea with a freshly brewed coffee.

NOTE: Be sure to place the tray of cookies in the middle of the oven. If you place them too low or high you’ll burn their bums/heads.

ORANGE SCENTED MACAROONS

INGREDIENTS (makes 16 small cookies)
1 cup ground almonds
1 cup desiccated coconut
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
1/4 cup liquid honey
2 large certified free-range eggs – whites only

METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line an oven tray with baking paper.
2. Place the ground almonds and coconut into a mixing bowl and zest the orange directly on top.

3. Add the honey and egg whites (no need to whisk first) and stir well to bring all ingredients together into a sticky mass.

4. Roll walnut-sized portions into balls and place on the baking tray. Flatten slightly with a fork and bake for 12-15 minutes until lightly golden.

5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack. Serve with freshly brewed coffee…these cookies are great for dunking!