There’s a great company out there called Hail Merry that makes amazingly delicious gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free treats like macaroons and mini-tarts. And let me tell you, they are wondrous! They’ve inspired me to create my own versions. I took one bite of their strawberry macaroons and knew that I had to learn to make my own, as I didn’t want to leverage the house to buy the quantity I wanted to consume. While Hail Merry’s version is hard to beat, my version gets the cravings taken care of in the comfort of my own, unleveraged home.
COOKIE INGREDIENTS
1 bag (1.2 ounces) freeze-dried strawberries
5 egg whites
⅛ tsp sea salt
¼ cup honey
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups (480 ml) finely shredded coconut, unsweetened
3 TBSP (45 ml) coconut flour, sifted
CHOCOLATE DIP INGREDIENTS
¾ cup chopped dark chocolate
1 tsp (5 ml) palm shortening
Makes 18 cookies
Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
In a food processor, purée half the bag of freeze-dried strawberries until it becomes a fine powder. Be sure to remove any moisture packet from the bag first! (I may have puréed the packet with the strawberries once. Maybe.)
Coarsely chop the other half of the strawberries.
In a medium-sized bowl, beat the egg whites with the sea salt with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold the strawberry powder, chopped strawberries, and remaining ingredients into the stiff egg whites just until combined. Don’t mix too vigorously, or you’ll lose the air in the egg whites.
Scoop the dough into golf ball-sized balls, and place them on parchment-lined baking sheets.
Bake the cookies for 13-15 minutes or until the bottoms turn golden brown.
Place the baking sheet on a wire rack and let the cookies cool completely.
Meanwhile, melt the dark chocolate and shortening in the top of a double boiler over simmering water, stirring until smooth.
Dip the bottom of each cooled cookie into the melted chocolate. Place the cookies on a wax paper-lined baking sheet until the chocolate hardens.
Store the cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator, or freeze them until needed.
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These chocolate dipped strawberry macaroons taste like a chocolate-covered strawberry turned into a chewy coconut cookie. Freeze-dried strawberries give the dough a rosy blush and real berry flavor without adding any moisture. Dip the cooled cookies in dark chocolate and you have a bakery-pretty treat that is entirely grain-free.
Pro Tips
- Remove the moisture packet from the freeze-dried strawberry bag before puréeing. Ask me how I know — one stray packet makes the whole batch taste like silica gel.
- Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks and fold everything in by hand. A hand mixer at this stage knocks out the air and leaves you with flat, dense macaroons.
- Let the cookies cool completely before dipping. Warm crumbs fall into the chocolate and make it seize into a lumpy mess.
- A teaspoon of palm shortening stirred into the melted dark chocolate keeps the coating glossy and gives it a clean snap straight from the fridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make chocolate dipped strawberry macaroons ahead of time?
Yes. The dipped cookies keep for about a week in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and they freeze beautifully for up to three months. Let them come to room temperature before serving so the coconut stays chewy.
Why did my macaroons spread flat in the oven?
Almost always it comes down to the egg whites. If they are not whipped to stiff peaks, or the batter gets overmixed after folding, the air escapes and the cookies spread instead of puffing.
Can I use fresh strawberries instead of freeze-dried?
No. Fresh berries add water to a dough that relies on dry coconut and egg white structure, and the cookies will turn out gummy. Stick with freeze-dried for both the powder and the chopped pieces.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- In a food processor, purée half the bag of freeze-dried strawberries until it becomes a fine powder. Be sure to remove any moisture packet from the bag first! (I may have puréed the packet with the strawberries once. Maybe.) Coarsely chop the other half of the strawberries.
- In a medium-sized bowl, beat the egg whites with the sea salt with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the strawberry powder, chopped strawberries, and remaining ingredients into the stiff egg whites just until combined. Don’t mix too vigorously, or you’ll lose the air in the egg whites. Scoop the dough into golf ball-sized balls, and place them on parchment-lined baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies for 13-15 minutes or until the bottoms turn golden brown.
- Place the baking sheet on a wire rack and let the cookies cool completely.
- Meanwhile, melt the dark chocolate and shortening in the top of a double boiler over simmering water, stirring until smooth.
- Dip the bottom of each cooled cookie into the melted chocolate.
- Place the cookies on a wax paper-lined baking sheet until the chocolate hardens. Store the cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator, or freeze them until needed.
