mocoroons (Patreon)

This morning, I felt like having a treat. And like so often when I want a treat, I surveyed the kitchen for ingredients I can use to make literally anything healthier than a bag of chocolate easter eggs. Admittedly, I was envious of Jack's donuts that he said he was going to get while running errands. So I decided to bake something up, seeing as how I love baked goods and they are sort of comparable to donuts (?). 

I've been baking with almond flour because the nutritional profile of almonds is impressive and - most importantly - it meets my scrutinous standard of "literally anything healthier than a bag of chocolate easter eggs". So I thought I'd adapt a generic almond flour muffin recipe for my indulgent morning coffee treat but with coconut instead of blueberries. So far so good, right? ...

Except, I'm an idiot. 

And I forgot to add milk in the liquid ingredients. 

By the time I noticed, my franken-pastry was mostly done baking. In a little bit of a panic, I ran to the kitchen anyway to inspect what I had done and determine how much of a disaster it would be. After poking at one of the franken-muffins and finding it still raw in the middle, I expected to have to toss them eventually, but the hopeful (and hungry) part of me decided to give them a few more minutes than what the recipe said and see what happens. 

I took them out when they were no longer squishy to touch and immediately had to lift one out of the tin to inspect the insides. Carefully peeling off the paper liner and slowly breaking it apart (trying not to burn my fingers), it revealed a moist, fully cooked and fragrant interior contained in a hearty, crisp shell of nutty goodness. 

Best. Mistake. Ever. 

I shall name my franken-breakfast "Mocoroons" because of the muffin-coconut-macaroon-like texture. Seriously. If a muffin and a coconut macaroon had a love baby, this would be it. 

It's soft, moist, crisp, hearty, light, dense - all at the same time. It's chewy, but not as chewy as a coconut macaroon. It's soft, but not as tear-apart-fluffy as a muffin. It's the perfect balance of both. And most importantly - it's so good I would serve it to Jack. 

This is why I'm sharing my unintentional pot-of-gold recipe with you. I wanted my Patreon account to be more fun and not all work and this makes me happy right now so don't judge me. I hope you like it. 

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Mocoroons
(recipe yields 6)

Blanched almond flour, 1 + 1/4 cup
Baking powder, 3/4 tsp
Granulated sugar-free sweetener (I used erythritol), 1/4 cup
Coconut, shredded, 2/3 cup (save 1 Tbsp for sprinkling over the top)
Sea salt, 1/8 tsp
Eggs, 2 medium
Coconut oil, 1/3 cup (measured solid, then melted)
Vanilla extract, 1 tsp 

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Mix dry ingredients well, add eggs, melted coconut oil and vanilla extract and mix until just combined. Distribute evenly between 6 regular parchment paper lined muffin tins, sprinkle the last of your shredded coconut over each one and bake in a preheated oven at 190°C (375°F)  for 30-35 minutes. Wait a little bit until they're cool enough that you don't burn your fingers. Enjoy!

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These gems are best enjoyed fresh out of the oven. Be careful when peeling off the paper as they can stick, but no shame in scraping off the crumbs as they are truly delicious. You can also just grease your muffin tin instead. It'll likely work because they don't really rise due to the lack of milk/liquid. If you don't have granulated sweetener and aren't worried about your blood sugar levels, just use plain ole sugar. One mocoroon (with sweetener) contains about 270 calories but don't let that deter you from eating as many as you please as they are a good source of healthy fats, minerals and some protein. Definitely healthier than a bag of chocolate easter eggs. 

The recipe makes 6 - if you are feeding more than one person just double the recipe. There's only 3 in the picture because I ate the other 3 before deciding to make this heavenly contribution to the world. I just finished them all. They were amazing.