As the years have gone by, I’ve come to appreciate Bob’s Red Mill more and more for many reasons, but especially these two: One, they’re getting what were once difficult-to-find whole grains, legumes, and other ingredients (unsweetened coconut, for example), into mainstream American markets. The other has been their willingness to respond to trends in food and to create or find new and innovative products, like well-performing gluten-free flour, or fava and chickpea flours.
Because we’re committed to transparency, we wanted to let you know that we’re getting compensated to promote Bob’s. We try to be thoughtful about how we make money, and so we only partner with brands and organizations that we know well and believe in. Bob’s is one of those, and we’re glad to have reasons to promote them. — mb
Keep calm and cookie on. By now you’ve seen all the gorgeous new cookie recipes online and in magazines. Maybe you’ve carved out time to make a few. Or maybe not, and you’re cookie-less rolling into holiday crunch time. Never fear: we got you.
Even with the holidays breathing down our necks, we’re cool and collected. We’ve got Mark’s classic macaroon recipe in our back pockets. And we’re about to spin the hell out of it.
Macaroons have a rustic charm that requires neither pastry bag nor food coloring. They’re just plain good. With only five ingredients and one mixing bowl, they also happen to be the easiest cookies south of the North Pole. First, you decide whether to go classic (which are naturally gluten-free, by the way), vegan (no chemistry, only a little tofu instead of the eggs), or snappy (with a little flour, they get crisper, sturdier, and more cookie-like).
Then tap into the childlike wonder of the season to make your cookies magical. All you need are some unexpected shapes, sparkly sugar or sprinkles, or a little chocolate, candies, or fruit. In about an hour, you’ll have a homemade gift, potluck contribution, or even a fancy-looking dessert for family celebrations.
For a holiday bonus, here are a handful of recipes to help you make the most of the egg yolks you’ll have after separating out the whites in the recipe:
Pete’s “This Sauce Is The Pits”
Without wasting another precious minute, let’s demonstrate some ways to create macaroon magic.
We do the work so you don’t have to. Here we are testing the simple vegan macaroons, which side-by-side stood proud alongside those made with eggs. And they work perfectly with all the spins here.
Or take your macaroons into true cookie territory. A smidge of flour and baking powder make them sturdy for travel, crisp with crinkles, and ready to decorate.
Make your mark with macaroon thumbprints of any size.
Sprinkles, confetti, colored sugar, or other decorations are a quick way to put any macaroons in the holiday spirit. Note: you don’t have to press them into the dough very hard for them to stick during baking.
For freeform tarts of any size or shape, forming a little lip around the edge with your fingers before baking ensures the toppings will stay in place.
The recipe includes a delicious variation for a quick and festive tart cherry topping.
Macaroon Magic (Including a Vegan Variation!)
The easiest cookies ever get a holiday glow-up. As with Mark’s Classic Macaroons and Sparkly Coconut Snowballs, only unsweetened shredded coconut works here. Fortunately, it’s commonly available; if all you can find are the ribbons, pulse them a few times in the food processor to get the right texture. Since the ratio is one egg white to one cup coconut and 1/3 cup sugar, the math for making big batches of dough is easy to calculate. Be sure to check out all the variations before deciding what to make first.
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