Coconut Milk and Ground Coconut

Coconut is the best thing ever. You can buy a whole tub of unsweetened desiccated coconut pretty cheaply, even at whole foods. Of course you can use the coconut straight up in desserts, or toasted and sprinkled on cakes, but you can also make two pretty useful ingredients from it:

• Coconut Milk - no need to explain this one
• Ground Coconut:

I was initially experimenting with making coconut flour, but it seems that you have to have an actual grain mill to get the leftover solids fine enough. But I realized that the texture of the dried, blended coconut solids was pretty similar to ground almonds. Once I started thinking about it, the coconut's nutritional profile is also a lot like almonds too- some carbohydrate, protein, fiber and fats.

I've used it in macarons and a cake as a 100% substitute for ground almonds and both times it worked! (recipes coming!) I haven't tried it in other cookies yet (e.g. tuiles), but you can experiment with using it as a gluten-free substitute for ground almonds in your own recipes - it's especially useful for those with allergies to most nuts, who otherwise couldn't have macarons...and what is life without macarons? 

This coincidentally fits in with Tastespotting's Food Allergy Awareness Day on Friday the 18th of May (this week!)

** Disclaimer ** for any and all recipes associated with Food Allergy Awareness Day on TasteSpotting: “Please note that this recipe has not been reviewed by FAI or medical experts. Avoidance is the only accepted course of treatment for food allergy. Always verify ingredients or food products by checking with the manufacturer and/or your physician to ensure that any foods are safe for your unique allergy issues.”