Golden Mylk Macaroons
I was part of an event last week where we chatted all about healthy holiday treats, and I was so excited to share the message that we can still enjoy all of the delicious treats that are abundant this time of the year, but that we can make simple tweaks when preparing them in order to upgrade their nutritional benefits.
I also took the chance to talk about one of the biggest reasons why it is so difficult to make dietary changes in our lives... because in our society, food is not just food. There is an emotional connection to the food that we eat. When we think about happy memories, or moments that we have connected with our loved ones, there is typically a meal that is incorporated into those thoughts. If we are told that we can no longer enjoy the things that we have been for years, we can sometimes feel as though we are going to lose out on the connection that comes along with it. That we are no longer going to be part of the celebration if we can't involve ourselves in the meal.
This emotional aspect with food is incredibly strong during the holiday season. We gather for family meals, we have small bites at holiday parties, and we give treats as a way to say thank you for what you've done over the past year. And it can be very hard to decline all of these things in order to stay true to what feels good in your body.
The good news is that you don't have to. I've learned over the years that you can't necessarily control what the people around you will bring to the table, but you can make small modifications so that you are still just as involved in the celebration as before, but without feeling like crap for days to follow.
It's also a great chance to start a conversation with your friends and family. When you give the gift of healthy treats, or bring a delicious, healthy, side dish to Christmas dinner, it provides an opportunity for those who are curious to ask some questions, and for you to share a little glimpse into what makes a whole foods way of eating so amazing.
Today's recipe is for one of the delicious treats that I talked about during our event. These macaroons are incredibly simple, and the turmeric mylk powder gives them such a gorgeous golden colour! I used the Turmeric Golden Mylk powder from Botanica, which I love because it's such a great combination of ingredients (organic turmeric, organic dates, organic coconut, organic vanilla flavour, organic cardamom, organic ashwagandha, organic cinnamon, organic black pepper), and it keeps this recipe really simple. If you don't have the Botanica blend, I would substitute it for 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp cardamom, and a tiny pinch of black pepper. You can also choose to cover them in chocolate or not, but in my opinion, chocolate is never a question.
Chocolate Covered Golden Macaroons
Ingredients:
Macaroons:
1-1/2 cups shredded coconut
1 tsp Botanica Turmeric Golden Mylk powder
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tbsp coconut oil
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
pinch sea salt
Chocolate Coating:
1/2 cup cacao butter
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/4 cup cacao powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch salt
Directions:
Line a large plate with parchment paper.
Add coconut and turmeric milk powder to a food processor.
Process on high until a paste forms, about 1-2 minutes, stopping to scrape the sides as necessary.
Add remaining ingredients and pulse to combine.
Scoop mixture and pack into a teaspoon. Transfer each one to your parchment lined plate, until all batter is used.
Transfer plate to freezer and allow to chill for minimum 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, make chocolate.
Melt cacao butter in a double boiler over medium heat.
Once melted, whisk in cacao powder, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and salt.
Whisk to combine and then take off heat.
Pour chocolate into small bowl and add macaroons. Cover them completely in chocolate, remove with a spoon, and put back in the freezer until completely cooled.
Serve at room temperature or straight from the fridge.
I hope this recipe gives you a bit of inspiration to try something new this holiday season - and I hope that these macaroons make their way into new happy memories that you create with your loved ones!
If you're interested in learning a bit more about this delicious Golden Mylk powder, check out my video!