White Chocolate Macaroon Bites – Happy Valentines Day

by Julie on February 13, 2013

macaroon first up

The prettiness of Valentines and all it’s pinks and ruby reds always inspires me to be creative especially when I have the camera in my hand.  Today I unearthed some of my pretties and had fun playing with them to bring you some inspiration.  And of course there’s a tasty recipe to go with it!  Don’t we all love a wee treat that’s simple to make and pretty healthy yet just a little naughty.

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These bite size macaroons are simply divine all on their own especially since they are made with naturally white raw cacao butter.  We can all pretend that cacao is super healthy for us and full of antioxidants, which it does contain, but it also has it’s flip side which is full of caffeine, a chemical.  So it’s hard to say it’s totally healthy but I will say that it isn’t full of additives, preservatives and refined sugar so it’s a whole lot better than most every other chocolate that’s out there.  As for the coconut it’s definitely healthy all the way, yay!  It is rich in plant proteins, is an excellent dietary fiber and is high in manganese.  Coconut is rich in saturated fats which most think is risky for ones health.  However, on the contrary coconut oil is lower in calories than other fats and does not deplete the body’s reserves of antioxidants as some other oils do.  Most oils have been processed allowing the molecules to oxidize and contribute free radicals in the body which then require antioxidants to eliminate them.  A list of valuable benefits from coconut oil is here.  I’ve sweetened with mineral rich maple syrup which is still a sugar (with some mineral benefits at least) and Yes it is acidic but I’ve cut back on the amount by using liquid stevia to bump up the sweet factor for this very special Valentines Day treat!  Sugar is sugar, no matter the source.  No sugar is really healthy at all especially if you are not well so avoid maple syrup altogether if you have serious symptoms, otherwise use it in extreme moderation as a treat and just use stevia to sweeten instead.  You can play with the sweetness as you may like it less so.  In this case cut back on the maple syrup.

cupboard (1 of 1)

It’s fun to make these up and share them so you might like to pick up some cute snack bags to package them in or some cute little cup cake or chocolate liners to pretty them up.  This recipe doubles easily so you can make up a big batch and give some away as prezzies!

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They are most firm when chilled but are fine at room temp if you are careful with them.  If you plan to wrap and share them, perhaps add 1/4 cup more cacao butter to make them a tad firmer.  Otherwise keep them in the fridge to avoid too much crumbling, they are deeelish when chilled any ways!

overhead shot of macaroons 2 (1 of 1)

White Chocolate Coconut Macaroon Bites
Yield: Approx 24 mini bites
1 cup cacao butter, grated
1/2 tsp alcohol free pure vanilla
2 tsp coconut oil
3 tbsp maple syrup
6-8 drop stevia
1 1/2 cups dried unsweetened fine shred coconut
Method
Over very, very low heat melt grated cacao butter. Remove from heat as soon as it is melted.  If very hot, allow to cool somewhat.  Then stir in all remaining ingredients one by one until combined.  Spoon approx 1 1/2 tablespoons into mini muffin tins or mini fluted tart tins, press in firmly with end of wooden spoon or finger tips and freeze for 20 mins to set.  Pop out of tin with point of a sharp knife.  Garnish with a berry or just enjoy straight up!  Store in refrigerator, serve cold or at room temperature.

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These were a cinch to pat down, then freeze for 20 mins and pop out with the tip of thin knife.

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These kind of reminded me of those one bite brownies (the ones that were hard to stop at one bite) but this is the healthy version of something rather addictive.

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Well… I hope you have a marvelous Valentine’s Day with the special people in your life.  If nothing else, pamper yourself this weekend with some self love; a warm bath, maybe some gentle yoga stretches, a hot cup of tea and a good magazine.  I recently found this lovely online one that you might enjoy.Now back I go… to my studio, brain storming more recipes and concocting flavours for my alkaline cook book.  Busy busy busy! but fun fun fun!

See you here again soon:)

Julie

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{ 9 comments }

Annik February 14, 2013 at 7:19 am

Hi,
First of all, thank you sooo much for those great recipes!! They look soooo sweet!
But would it be possible to add a pop-up button ”PRINT” somewhere to be able to print JUST the recipe and 1 picture only please? That would save paper and trees!!
Thank’s and HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!!

Ana February 14, 2013 at 1:44 pm

What a beautiful and delicious mini cakes. Photos are so pretty that I would like to eat all them right now. Congratulations!

Anja (from Savorychicks) February 15, 2013 at 1:44 am

Thank you, Julie, for another beautiful post (and the link to the Gatherings magazine). It’s always a treat to enjoy your posts! Full of valuable information and a true delight for the eye! Happy Valentines!

candace February 18, 2013 at 1:10 pm

These look delicious, and I am always looking for a healthier dessert option, so I can’t wait to make these. Thanks for sharing!!

Heather February 18, 2013 at 6:11 pm

Julie,
What a sweet honor to see Gatherings Magazine mentioned here in your beautiful corner of the world. I’ve followed and have been subscribed to your blog posts for about 2 years now. I’m so excited about your book project!! Congratulations. You are always welcomed to contribute to Gatherings but I know you are a very busy lady these days. Thanks again for the shout out! You are a continued inspiration to me!

Julie February 20, 2013 at 9:51 pm

Awe Heather, you are so very welcome! I love your magazine and your site too! I’d be more than thrilled to contribute to your magazine, an honour it would be! I am swamped for the meantime but we should chat and make a plan for a future issue. Thanks for dropping by.

Alicia@ eco friendly homemaking February 20, 2013 at 7:35 pm

These not only sound delicious but look adorable as well. I want to make these ASAP!!

Chelsea July 10, 2013 at 5:34 pm

Just made these.. So easy and so fabulous!!!! Thank you 🙂

Ps where do you find cocoa butter? (Is it just grated white chocolate? That’s what I used)

Cheers!!!

admin August 24, 2013 at 9:35 pm

Chelsea, cocoa butter is white and is not sweet. It isn’t white chocolate as white chocolate is sweetened with sugar usually. I’m sure it worked fine but ideally one would avoid sugar and sweeten with stevia and a wee bit of maple syrup if desired. Glad you enjoyed them:)

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Disclaimer: The content on this site is not written with intentions to substitute professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatments. Our content is for information purposes only and should not be used to diagnose or treat health issues of any sort. Our information and statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Copyright Julie Cove and Yvonne Becker, 2009-2010. Please do not use or copy any information, recipes or photos without permission or without noting its origins on your blog or website.