Coconut Macaroons

Clearly, I am obsessed with coconut. These macaroons are seriously delicious, and the recipe was given to me by my friend and fellow nutrition couch, Diane Sanfilippo of http://balancedbites.com. As I've mentioned before, coconut comes in many delicious/nutritious forms, including those in this recipe: coconut butter and shredded coconut. Both can be purchased at any health food store/co-op, or online. http://tropicaltraditions.com is a great one. Enjoy!
Ingredients:

• 1 cup coconut butter
• 2 (additional) cups shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 vanilla bean (optional)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt

Directions:1. Preheat the oven to 300F and line a baking sheet with a non-stick mat or parchment.2. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.3. Scoop about 1-2 tbsp of dough onto a baking sheet. You don’t have to leave much room in between as they do not spread out. Bake for 25-28 minutes at 300F. I baked mine for 28 minutes and I used a Silpat, so if you do not use one, your baking time will likely be a few minutes less. Watch them closely after 22-23 minutes. The bottoms of my macaroons were golden in colour.4. Allow the macaroons to sit for 25 minutes so they can firm up. If you do not do this, the macaroons will crumble, so this step is crucial! Store in the fridge for up to 5 days in a sealed container. makes about 22 macaroons. 

Variations: I like to add cinnamon and a bit of orange zest. You can also add some raw cacao powder if you want chocolate coconut macaroons, although keep in mind that this is a very overpowering flavor so just a little bit goes a long way!