Vanilla, cherry and raspberry macaroons (no spelling mistake here)

I am in no way a healthy eater, I love food both healthy and unhealthy.  Somehow, as I grow older I am finding things increasingly 'too sweet' for me, and I don't feel as good when I eat too much refined sugar.  I first started getting into 'raw' food when I was pregnant with Lil' Brigs #2.  My body really did not sit well with all the junk I usually ate/eat, and I kept craving fresh food, lots of vegetables, no refined sugars.  I think it was my body's way of telling me, yep, you've been eating too much junk, it's time to change (whereas usually those who restrict their diet go all out when they're pregnant, haha!).It was then that I discovered the world of 'raw foods'.  And the world of 'raw desserts', oh my! Desserts minus the guilt and yucky feeling after? Yes please!

I recently bought some macaroons for a picture I wanted to make (first picture below, if you're curious), and proceeded to eat some of them.  I didn't feel very nice even after just one of them.  So I looked up a recipe for a healthier version.  When I found this one below on Loving Earth's website (I have bookmarked so many recipes!), I was so excited I couldn't wait to make it (and have done so twice now), I got the kids involved and they love it too!  I only made one teensy adjustment from the original recipe, as I love raspberries, and wanted a bit of tartness to my macaroons (raspberry macarons are one of my favourites, along with pistachio).  These are seriously so good!

I know you're probably thinking: what? a recipe? Yeah, it's been yeeeeeears since I last shared one, but this was too good not to!

Warning: these can be addictive!

 And so good with coffee...

 all photos via my iPhone for my Instagram account (you can follow me here)

Now, onto the recipe:

Vanilla, cherry & raspberry macaroons

Ingredients

• 2 cups fine Desiccated Coconut

• 1 cup fine white almond meal

• ¼ cup 100% pure Coconut Nectar

• 1 tablespoon Coconut Oil

• ½ cup pitted black cherries, chopped (I used frozen, and used a mixture of 2/3 raspberry and 1/3 cherries)

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (I used raspberry 'juice' - the liquid I got from the raspberries after it defrosted)

• Zest of one lemon (I didn't use it in mine, but it's in the original recipe)

• 2 teaspoon vanilla paste

• Pinch of coarse sea salt

• Extra coconut and lemon zest (again didn't use this) to roll balls in

Method

• If you’re using frozen cherries (and raspberries if you're using them) like I did, thaw them out a little, pat them dry and chop them up
• Blitz everything in a food processor till well combined
• Make balls using a 1 tablespoon mixture per ball
• Roll balls in desiccated coconut and lemon zest (if using them)

 Enjoy!

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