KOKOSKY – The Coconut Macaroons with Buckwheat Cookies & Cranberry Jam (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

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First of all, there is no mistake in spelling! I am not about to bake any fancy (and for me still pretty scary) French macarons, but super simple coconut macarOOns!

What is the difference? Well, the French macarons are cookies based on egg whites whipped to a meringue, while the main ingredient of macaroons is simply coconut 🙂

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Based on some previous posts, I was asked several times if I am vegan. Well, the answer is simple – no! But yes, you’re right, I do post vegan recipes! And the reason is simple – people close to me with their various food allergies and my own lactose intolerance. When you want to bake but have to skip eggs and dairy products, guess what, you happen to create something vegan 😀

On top of the allergies and intolerances, add diabetes in your family and friends allergic to gluten. Yehey!

But all those restrictions cannot stop me from baking, oh no!!!

Years ago, when I realized that I am lactose intolerant, I was getting desperate. Why me? Me who LOVES to bake!

Still, I was lucky! Lactose intolerance is no big deal – I just have to be aware of what I eat and take lactase enzyme pills when needed. Otherwise? There are many lactose free products on the market, one can get lactose free milk in every other coffee shop and when needed, the medicine is always in my pocket.

My intolerance actually helped me – to understand that there simply are many people having various allergies and that I want to find ways how to not only replace ingredients like flour, eggs or milk but that I actually want to find and create recipes where there would simply not be the need for replacing anything – just discover new ingredients, new combinations, new possibilities!

One of my biggest difficulties with such way of baking has been replacing eggs. I have come across so many recipes that promise soft, awesomely awesome results but… well, left me disappointed with some inedible crackers that one could use as a cutting board but would definitely not want to serve to anyone. (Recently, I tried a new recipe for gingerbreads. After decorating them, I sent some pictures to my mum, saying that though I am happy with the decoration, the gingerbreads are just inedible. You know what? She was laughing and said that it is actually great because they are pretty and it would be a waste if someone ate them – and since they are hard as stone, I can relax, my gingerbreads are safe, unless someone wants to loose teeth…)

So, many trials, many failed attempts.

And then, some weeks ago, I learnt about aquafaba – I wouldn’t ever believe that even meringue can be made – without eggs! But hey, it can!

For those who are now wondering what aquafaba is and if they missed something – I am so glad that you are wondering too! I wouldn’t understand what that strange word means either, until recently!

Aquafaba, the “water-bean”, is nothing than exactly that – the bean water, the liquid you pour out after opening a can of beans, or simply the water you get by cooking legumes. Though I am not able to explain how exactly it works, proteins and starches in aquafaba simply mimic the proteins in raw eggs. Therefore, with this viscous liquid, one can create meringues, royal icing, cheese, butter or even vegan marshmallows!

First of all, I tried to make a simple royal icing for decorating gingerbreads:

9 tbsp Aquafaba (Chickpea water)

400g sifted icing sugar (I used Sukrin Melis instead od regular sugar)

The result exceeded my expectations!!

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Well well, enough was said – Let’s get back to the coconut macaroons!

You know, back in Czechia, when one buys a coconut macaroon, or as we call it kokoska, it always sits on a biscuit with jam that is dipped in chocolate. Here in Norway, one cannot find such – it is always just the coconut macaroon alone!

I hope you can understand that I do miss the proper kokoska and therefore I needed to bake it! But, here we go – I also wanted to try baking without eggs, try new recipes for Christmas and to use aquafaba – wohou, baking coconut macaroons seemed to be a perfect match!

COCONUT MACAROONS WITH BUCKWHEAT COOKIES & CRANBERRY JAM

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INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CRANBERRY JAM

200g fresh cranberries

50g Sukrin (add more if you want the jam to be sweeter)

1/2 lemon – juice

FOR THE BUCKWHEAT COOKIES:

100g oatmeal flour

100g buckwheat flour

70g almond flour

80g Sukrin (or sugar)

70g melted coconut oil

60g coconut blossom syrup (or agave syrup)

30g coconut milk (add slowly, have some extra – to achieve desired consistency of the dough)

2 tbsp aquafaba (bean water)

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of salt

FOR THE COCONUT MACAROONS

6 tbsp Chickpea aquafaba

80g Sukrin melis or powdered sugar

140g shredded coconut

EXTRA

200g dark chocolate

1/2 tsp coconut oil

INSTRUCTIONS:

COOK THE JAM

Place the cranberries, lemon juice and Sukrin into a small pot and let cook for 15 – 20 minutes.

When the cranberries turn into nice, thick jam, stop the cooking and let cool down completely. If you want, place the jam into a food processor and puree until smooth.

MAKE THE COOKIES

Preheat the oven to 180°C, prepare a baking sheet lined with baking paper.

In a large bowl, combine the oatmeal, almond and buckwheat flour, baking powder and salt.

In a small pot, melt the coconut oil. When melted, turn off the heat, add syrup, aquafaba, Sukrin, 15g of coconut milk and vanilla extract.

Pour the coconut oil mixture onto the dry ingredients and by hands or in a kitchen mixer, blend together until obtaining a nice, soft dough. It the dough is too dry, add little by little more coconut milk.

Let the dough rest for an hour in a fridge.

After one hour, place the dough on the kitchen counter sprinkled with buckwheat flour. Quickly kneed the dough and then roll out with a rolling pin – turn the dough at least once to roll it from both sides.

With cookie cutters, cut small circles.

Place the cookies onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper and bake for 8-12 minutes (you have to adjust the baking time according to the thickness of the cookies – so I suggest checking them after 7 or 8 minutes because they burn quickly!)

Let cool completely.

MAKE THE COCONUT MACAROONS

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Preheat the oven to 150°C, prepare another baking tray lined with baking paper.

Pour the chickpea brine in a bowl of Kenwood and whisk on high speed for two minutes.

Add Sukrin, whisk for 2 more minutes.

Add all coconut and let whisking until gaining a white, sticky compact dough.

With a spoon, form approximately 15 macaroons on a baking sheet.

Bake for 15- 20 minutes, or until the macaroons turnlightly brown on the outside.

Let them cool completely.

ASSEMBLE THE MACAROONS

Spread the jam on the buckwheat cookies and stick them to the bottom side of the coconut macaroons.

(If you have some extra cookies, stick them with the jam too, mnam!)

Melt the chocolate with the coconut oil in a bowl over a pot with warm water.

Dip the bottom of the macaroon-cookies and place them on a plate with baking paper.

Let the chocolate set. If it takes time, place the macaroons to the fridge for a while.

Wohou, macaroons are ready! Eat them directly or, as I prefer, let them first rest in the fridge over night or even for some days 🙂

Bon apetit!

And let me know how you like the recipe!