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Easter Egg Macaroons {DF, GF, EF, RSF}

Easter Egg Macaroons

This is not a new recipe for me – we make chocolate macaroons frequently – but I decided to make it into Easter Eggs for the children to decorate, so we’re sharing it again, all seasonal like.Easter Egg Macaroons

I used egg moulds to make these Easter egg halves, but you could make whole eggs by hand too.  Depending on where you are (temperature) and whether you use organic coconut or not, you may need a little extra coconut oil. If that’s the case, just add a tablespoon at a time at the end of the mixing process. The  mixture does need to be able to hold together.

Easter Egg Macaroons {DF, GF, RSF}
Author: Keeper of the Kitchen
Ingredients
  • 50g Coconut Oil (1/4 cup)
  • 70g honey or syrup (1/4 cup)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 30 – 50g cocoa powder (1/3 cup)
  • pinch of fine sea salt or Himalayan pink salt
  • 150g shredded unsweetened coconut (1.5 cups)
Instructions
Regular Instructions
  1. Melt the coconut oil in a pot – this requires 37C, i.e. body heat, and is still considered raw, or uncooked.
  2. Add the honey or syrup and stir till it’s all mixed and liquid and remove from heat
  3. Add the vanilla extract
  4. (If using banana, mash it and add to the mix)
  5. Add 30g cocoa first then add the coconut
  6. (Add chia seeds if using)
  7. Stir till it’s all combined
  8. Taste the mix too see if it’s the right amount of chocolatey. If you want it ‘darker’ add more cocoa powder till it’s right for you. Mix again.
  9. Scoop out onto a tray, or into moulds and refrigerate until it hardens.
  10. Keep cool as it will fall apart if the coconut oil gets too warm.
Thermomix Instructions
  1. Put the coconut oil in the bowl, and melt 37C/Speed 1/ 20 Seconds (you’ll need a bit longer if the weather is cold) Make sure it’s melted though, or it won’t be liquid enough to hold everything together)
  2. Add the honey or syrup and mix 37C/Speed 1/ 30 Seconds.
  3. Add the vanilla extract
  4. Add 30g cocoa first then add the coconut
  5. Mix speed 2/ 15 seconds
  6. Taste the mix too see if it’s the right amount of chocolatey. If you want it ‘darker’ add more cocoa powder till it’s right for you. Mix again speed 2/15 seconds.
  7. Scoop out onto a tray, or into moulds and refrigerate until it hardens.
  8. Keep cool as it will fall apart if the coconut oil gets too warm.

 

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Jellybean Fudge

Jellybean Fudge

Sometimes a reader will get in touch with a question about a recipe that didn’t work for them, and it always makes me really nervous, so much so that I have to make the recipe as soon as I can to just check it again, to make sure I didn’t leave anything out. Jellybean Fudge

That happened this week, making the White Chocolate and Glace Cherry Fudge, so it was the perfect excuse for me, having not made it since Christmas. I didn’t have any glacé cherries, however, so I grabbed what seemed like a suitable replacement: jellybeans. I was so pleased with how it worked out, I couldn’t help but share it.

Jellybean FudgeThis is a soft and delicious fudge, and the addition of the flavoured jellybeans makes for chewy flavour bursts. And it’s really pretty! I think this is a great Easter fudge, or if you stick to reds and pinks you could do it for Valentines day too.

Jellybean Fudge
Author: Keeper of the Kitchen
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 50 pieces
Ingredients
  • 1 can condensed milk
  • 250g white sugar
  • 25g golden syrup
  • 125g butter
  • 200g white chocolate
  • 100g jelly beans
Instructions
  1. Add condensed milk, sugar, syrup and butter to the Thermomix bowl.
  2. Cook without MC at 100C speed 3 for 8 mins.
  3. Scrape down sides if needed, then cook Veroma, 20 mins speed 3 still without MC. While it’s boiling, prepare the pan, break the chocolate into pieces and get the jellybeans ready.
  4. Add chocolate and mix on speed 4, reverse blades for 20 seconds, then quickly add the jelly beans and mix reverse blades 10 seconds speed 3.
  5. Working quickly, pour the mixture into a brownie tray
  6. Refrigerate for 3 -4 hours, cut and store in airtight container.

 

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Home Made Hazelnut Syrup

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I adore hazelnut syrup in my coffee. It’s almost a weakness. It’s definitely a craving. I sometimes crave it. I’ll drive out of my way to pick up a hazelnut coffee at Starbucks. But the problem is, I don’t think they’re very good for you! In fact, whenever I haven’t had one in a while, and then I drink one, I can ‘feel’ the chemicals sticking at the back of my throat.

I’ve recently learned to make my own hazelnut syrup and since then, I’ve not looked back.

Ironically, since I have been drinking my homemade syrup, I’ve twice had occasion to try my old favourite and you know what? I don’t like it anymore! I find it overly sweet, and I find that chemical taste really prominent in the back of my throat now.

This recipe uses Rapadura in place of sugar, so while it’s still quite calorific, it doesn’t have the highs and lows of adding sugar to your coffee.

I made these in my Thermomix, but the recipe below is very easy to adapt to even basic kitchen equipment, you may just take a little longer.

Also, with the leftover nuts you can make gorgeous crystallised hazelnuts.

Fun Fact: This recipe, based on RRP, for organic ingredients, cost me £5.49 for just under 1 litre. My Starbucks favourite used to cost me £3.75 for 375ml.

Home Made Hazelnut Syrup
Recipe Type: Drinks, Sauces, Deserts
Author: Luschka
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 1 litre
Ingredients
  • 500g Rapadura
  • 500g water
  • 250g Hazelnuts
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 160C/320F
  2. Roast the hazelnuts until they are just starting to colour, and you can smell their warm aroma.
  3. Remove from oven and turn off.
  4. Place hazelnuts in the Thermomix bowl on reverse speed 1 for about a minute. The skins should come off pretty easily. (If you don’t have a Thermomix, or you need to remove more skin, agitate the nuts between two dishclothes.
  5. Separate the skins
  6. Place the hazelnuts back in the bowl and whiz for 5 seconds on speed 4. You want them broken up, but NOT powdered or turned to flour. Without a Thermomix, you can do this with a rolling pin.
  7. Place the Rapadura and water in the bowl/a large pot and bring to the boil. Add the hazelnuts and leave to boil until the mixture has reduced by about 25%
  8. You will need to stir it regularly to make sure it doesn’t burn. If you’re using a Thermomix, just keep it on speed 1.
  9. Once it’s reduced, strain to remove the nuts, and put them aside for crystallised hazelnuts. Strain again to remove smaller nuts, and pour into the container you’ll be keeping it in. Leave to cool before refrigerating.
  10. If you taste it straight away you’ll be disappointed by how mild it tastes. Leave for about 24 hours before having your first sip of real hazelnut syrup. You won’t be disappointed.