Egg-Free Macaroons

3 and 1/4 cups unsweetened, shredded coconut
1 and 1/2 cups walnuts
1 cup sliced almonds
2 tsp. arrowroot flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2-4 Tbs. macadamia nut butter (you can use 2 Tbs. coconut oil instead if you don't have this, or try almond butter.)
2/3 cup pure maple syrup OR honey
optional: 2 Tbs. glutenfree vanilla extract (I didn't use this)

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spread 2 and 1/2 cups coconut, and the walnuts onto separate baking sheets. Bake coconut until lightly toasted, stirring occasionally, about 5-7 minutes. Bake walnuts until lightly toasted, about 8 minutes. Set aside toasted coconut and walnuts; keep separate.

2. Place remaining 3/4 cup raw coconut in shallow bowl; set aside. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

3. Put sliced almonds, salt, and arrowroot in a large bowl. Put walnuts in food processor and process to a paste. Add macadamia butter and maple syrup and process until blended smooth. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix well.

4. Roll 1/8 cup dough into balls, then roll each ball in the raw coconut. Place on prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until bottoms are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. (Don't overcook, macaroons should be moist and chewy. Watch them during the last few minutes; they burn quickly.) Transfer to wire racks to cool.

When baking these with kids, let them sprinkle the coconut on the rolled dough. Call it a "snowball". This is a nice holiday treat for kids on gf/cf/egg free diets! (and the rest of us too!)

I think these should freeze well and make great gifts. They are also a lot easier to get right than the whipped egg white macaroons.

Modified from a Vegetarian Times recipe.
By Stacie Tolen. Posted to the PaleoRecipe Mailing List, Dec. 2000