Almond Joy Macaroons (#glutenfree) for #SundaySupper Ultimate Cookie Exchange

Grab a glass of milk, and settle in for awhile – it’s time for the #SundaySupper Ultimate Cookie Exchange.  Do you love to bake cookies for the holidays?  I go a little nuts at Christmastime.  I always say I am cutting back, and I always end up with at least 8 different kinds.  Usually more.  Some are the old standbys and family favorites, and some are new recipes I have found.  This year, I even have some experiments of my own.  Can’t wait to share them all with you throughout the week.

In fact, I was thinking about these experiments when I was trying to decide what to post for #SundaySupper when I looked again at the event description, and it said to make your favorite cookie for bringing to cookie exchanges.  Well, my favorite cookie to eat is Almond Crescents.  I have to make Snickerdoodles every year for Dad and Sam.  Mom has to have her Snowballs.  And most of my family likes  sugar cookies and cut-outs (although this year’s have a bit of a different flavor infusion).  So really, I can’t take any of these to a cookie exchange – the family just won’t allow it.

When I am exchanging cookies, I usually bring a batch or three of my new recipes or experiments.  Sometimes I haven’t even tried them (darn wheat allergy, and after the first year when I started baking massive quantities, tried them all, and, well, didn’t feel so hot).  So I am counting on everyone to be my guinea pigs.  These cookies are a combo of a new recipe I found and an experiment.  I saw Ann’s recipe for 2-Ingredient Crispy Coconut Macaroons at The Fountain Avenue Kitchen, and loved that they were gluten free without needing any special flours or anything, and required only two ingredients.  And so easy to make if you have to throw something together last minute.  I added two more ingredients – almonds and melted dark chocolate – and just fancied them up a bit.

And let me tell you, I have held back and only had one so far (and jammed the rest in my freezer), but I LOVE THEM!  Love the chewy parts, love the crunchy parts, love the sweet against the bitterness of the dark chocolate (I say, the darker the better).  And I love that you can adjust it to how you like them.  Flatten them out, keep them mounded, bake a little less, bake a little more – and you can get the thickness, level of chewiness, crispy, brown edges (or lack thereof), that you prefer.

I hope you will give these a try!  Trust me, they could not be easier for something so delicious!

Please join on us on Twitter throughout the day during #SundaySupper on December 9th.  In the evening we will meet at 7pm EST for our #SundaySupper Ultimate Cookie Exchange live chat.  All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag or you can follow us through TweetChat.  This Week, Sunday Supper has  a special host who knows all about Cookies.  Janet Keeler, Food & Travel Editor for the Tampa Bay Times and Author of Cookielicious will be joining us with tips on baking for the Ultimate Cookie Exchange and to answer any of your baking questions.  We are giving away 5 signed copies of Cookielicious with 150 fabulous recipes to bake and share.

We’d also love to feature your recipe for The Ultimate Cookie Exchange on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board to share them with all of our followers, too.

And if you are still looking for some recipes for cookies to bake this year, look no further than the bottom of this post for over 50 awesome recipes from the amazing #SundaySupper crew!

What are your favorite cookies to bake for the holidays?  Feel free to share links to the recipes in the comments or on my Facebook page, and I will share on Facebook and Twitter throughout the week.  You’ll be seeing some of the ones that I love to make for my family and myself this week on the blog.

Almond Joy Macaroons

 

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Only four ingredients to make this simple but delicious (and gluten-free) cookie that tastes like an Almond Joy candy bar.

Author: Brianne @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips (adapted from The Fountain Avenue Kitchen’s 2-Ingredient Crispy Coconut Macaroons)

Recipe type: Cookie, Dessert

Serves: 3½ – 4 dozen

Ingredients

• 1 (14 oz.) bag sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
• Whole almonds (about 3½ – 4 dozen, one per cookie)
• 8-10 oz. dark chocolate

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix the coconut and the condensed milk until the coconut is evenly coated.
3. Place mounds of the mixture on a parchment-lined baking sheet. I sprayed a small cookie scoop with nonstick spray, and this worked very well. Ann says that she presses the mixture into a round tablespoon measuring spoon and slightly overfills it. Then she works it out with fingers and pats it gently into an evenly-shaped mound. Coating the spoon and or fingers with butter or oil helps.
4. Gently press one almond into the top of each cookie.
5. Place the pan in the oven, and, after about 4 minutes, press the almonds further into the coconut, flattening as much as you like depending on how thin and/or crispy you want your cookies.
6. Bake for another 4-7 minutes, or until as browned and crispy as you like them. Watch closely during the last few minutes.
7. Remove from the oven, and cool completely.
8. Melt the chocolate in the microwave or a double boiler.
9. Dip the bottom of each cookie in the melted chocolate, and place on wax paper until they cool and harden.
10. Store in an airtight container, separating the layers with wax paper.

Notes

The amount of spreading of the cookies seems to depends on whether the coconut used contains cornstarch. Please see The Fountain Avenue Kitchen’s recipe for 2-Ingredient Coconut Macaroons for information about this. My coconut did not contain cornstarch. I had to bake on the longer end of the time given, and mine did not brown as much as Ann’s. The ones I kept mounded together did not spread much, but those I flattened a little more spread a bit.

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Enjoy!

The Sunday Supper Favorite Cookie Exchange Cookies:

• Turtle Thumbprint Cookies by Cravings of a Lunatic 
• #glutenfree Almond Oatmeal Raisin Cookies by Cooking Underwriter
• Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies by The Foodie Army Wife
• M & M Cookies by Damn Delicious 
• Snowball Cookies by Small Wallet Big Appetite 
• Mocha Thumbprint Cookies by The Meltaways
• Cardamom-Walnut Cookies by Home Cooking Memories 
• Polish Chrusciki (Bow Ties) by Comfy Cuisine 
• Cherry Blossom Cookies by Flour on my Face
• Rosettes by That Skinny Chick Can Bake 
• Millionaire’s Shortbread by Gotta Get Baked 
• Double-the-Mint Chocolate Kiss Cookies by The Weekend Gourmet 
• Whole Wheat Cereal Cookies by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings 
• Chocolate Dipped Potato Chip Shortbread Cookies by The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen 
• Scories De Vulcan | Lava Stones Cookies by The Daily Dish Recipes
• Zimtsterne {Cinamon Stars} #Dairyfree by Galactosemia in PDX
• S’mores Cookies by Hezzi-D’s Book and Cooks
• Chocolate Whoppers by Vintage Kitchen Notes
• Ricotta Cookies with White Chocolate Glaze Country Girl in the Village
• Turtles by Dinners, Dishes and Desserts 
• Salted Caramel Brownie Cookies! by I Run For Wine
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Toffee Cookies by The Urban Mrs.
• Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies by She likes ruffles, he likes truffles 
• Amaretto Almond Biscotti by Noshing With The Nolands
• Mexican Chocolate Cookies by Generation Y Foodie 
• Double Chocolate Peppermin Biscotti by Pippi’s in the Kitchen Again
• Ice Cream Kolaczki by Cookistry
• Amoniaczki by What Smells So Good?
• Fruit and Nut Ice Box Cookies by In the Kitchen with Audrey
• Ginger Bourbon Balls by girlichef
• Candy Cane Blossom Cookies by Mommas Meals 
• Double Chocolate Cranberry Cookies by Lovely Pantry
• Ninja Bread Men by Diabetic Foodie 
• Peppermint Sugar Cookies by In The Kitchen With KP
• Christmas Crunchies by Magnolia Days
• Cream Cheese Swirled Red Velvet Cookies by Mom’s Test Kitchen
• Double Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies and Tips on Mailing Cookies by Chocolate Moosey
• Congo Bars by Supper for a Steal 
• Mint Surprise Cookies by The Cookie A Day Challenge
• Salted Caramel Thumbprint Cookies by Midlife Road Trip
• Best Ever Pecan Pie Bars by Shockingly Delicious
• Oreo Cheesecake Cookies by Baker Street 
• Biscoff Pillow Cookies by by The Messy Baker Blog
• Mexican Hot Cocoa Cookies by Juanita’s Cocina
• Raspberry Thumbprints for my first #SundaySupper!  by Kelly Bakes 
• Tea Biscuits by My Cute Bride
• Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies by Mama Mommy Mom 
• Lebanese Butter Cookies for the Christmas Season by The Catholic Foodie
• Almond Joy Macaroons by Cupcakes and Kale Chips 
• Gluten Free Coconut Fruit Nut Cookies by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz 
• Snowball Surprise Cookies by Family Foodie

For more amazing cookies recipes like Snowball Surprise Cookies, check out  Cookielicious by Food Editor Janet K. Keeler from The Tampa Bay Times now while there is a special… Buy One Cookielicious Cookbook and get one for a friend!

This recipe was shared with Crazy Sweet Tuesday, Gooseberry Patch Christmas Cookies & Candy…Round ‘Em Up!, Thursday’s Treasures

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Tagged as: #SundaySupper, Almonds, Chocolate, Christmas, Coconut, Cookies, Dessert, Gluten-free, Nuts, recipe, Vegetarian