Nut Free Macarons - Coconut and Chocolate

Isn't it weird when something just works?
Like, never being able to wake up at the first waling of your alarm (seriously. That sound makes me want to cry, whatever the context) and then on the morning of your exam you wake up 2 hours early!?

Or even the piece of bread you put in the toaster. It will normally end up burnt on one half and still pale on the other. But this one time, becomes evenly browned, seems to stay warm forever and ALL the butter on it melts!  - those random cold bits of un-melted butter are too stressful to deal with in the morning.

And this home-made ground coconut, which I actually managed to use in macarons, one of the most temperamental baked goods ever, and it worked! So I can now present easy, nut-free macarons for anyone with (or without) allergies...plus it's got coconut...

and who wouldn't want freaking coconut in their macarons?

Nut-Free Coconut and Chocolate Macarons 

adapted from David Leibovitz

1/2 cup + 1 tbsp (9 tbsp) home-made ground coconut
1 cup (3.5 oz / 100g ) powdered sugar
2 egg whites
5 tbsp granulated sugar

For the chocolate ganache:
2 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup (60 ml) heavy cream / double cream
1 tsp butter

Line 2 cookie trays with parchment paper.
Sift together the coconut flour and powdered sugar in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites until you get soft peaks. Continue whisking, whilst gradually adding the sugar until you get stiff peaks.

Add half of the coconut + powdered sugar mixture to the egg whites and start folding it in slowly and gently with a spatula. After a few folds, add the rest of it, and continue to fold  it together slowly until the batter becomes the right consistency:

• Test the batter every few folds by putting some of it on a plate (or if you're like me, just blob a little onto the counter top). 
• Now watch the blob of batter, if it gets a flat top within about 20 seconds, you're golden. 
• If a little peak remains on the blob, do a few more folds then try again
• If it turns into a puddle and wont keep it's shape, you've over mixed it

Pipe the batter into evenly sized circles on the parchment paper, and set them aside for 30 minutes - 1 hour so that a thin, crisp shell develops on the outside of the batter.

For the ganache, simply heat the cream and butter until steaming, then pour it over the chocolate in a small bowl, leave it for about 2 minutes, then stir together until completely mixed. It will thicken more as it cools  so you can refrigerate it to cool it down faster.

Bake the macarons in an oven which has been preheated to 300 degrees F (150g), for 8-15 minutes depending on their size. You will know that they are done when you are able to peel one off of the parchment paper without the underside sticking to it. Sandwich two macarons together with some cooled chocolate ganache and store in an airtight container.

(they freeze super well too!)

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.”