Vanilla Coconut Macaroons

i have had a mason jar full of unsweetened coconut for a while now and for some reason, this weekend, it began to call my name. it was almost a whisper at first but soon it was a full on scream "coconut!"

once it became clear that i would be eating the coconut, i had to figure out in what form. i quickly decided on macaroon form. i settled on vanilla coconut macaroons after reading oh she glows. i had to have those sweet, chewy, coconut bites.

the hardest part of the recipe was waiting for them to cool and set once out of the oven. but, i assure you, they are worth the wait. the vanilla favor really comes through and the subtle sweetness is perfection.

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Vanilla Coconut Macaroons
lightly adapted from oh she glows

2 2/3 cups shredded unsweetened coconut or 1 cup coconut butter
2 (additional) cups shredded unsweetened coconut
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tbs vanilla bean paste
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp coconut rum
1/2 tsp pure almond extract
1/2 tsp kosher salt

preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

process 2 2/3 cups coconut in food processor for 10-15 minutes until a smooth paste has formed, scraping down the sides as necessary. (you can also just use 1 cup of store bought coconut butter softened)

stir together coconut butter with remaining ingredients. scoop teaspoon size balls onto silpat or parchment lined baking sheets. press balls together slightly so they hold together. bake for 20-25 minutes until edges just start to brown (watch them closely after the 15 minute mark!) remove from oven and let cool at least 30 minutes.

enjoy with an ice cold glass of milk!