Almond Meringues

According to the bakery section of the Safeway flyer that I was leafing through the other day, December 4 is National Cookie Day.  Who knew?

I'm not sure why cookies need their own special day of attention.  Nonetheless, in honour of the occasion, I decided it was high time I warmed up my oven and got a jump start on some Christmas baking.  If you are in the vicinity, I invite you to drop by for a mug of honey ginger green tea with some freshly baked Almond Meringues on the side. 

Gluten-free, high in fiber, honey-sweetened and made from all-natural ingredients these cookies are easy to love -- plus easy to make.   Try them!

 Almond Meringues

 2 1/3 cups almond flour

3/4 cup honey (melted)

2 egg whites

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut  (approximately)

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Place almond flour in a bowl and gradually add honey, stirring until well blended.
• In a second bowl, beat egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
• Add almond flour-honey mixture to beaten egg whites and mix until thoroughly combined. 
• Add vanilla
• Using a teaspoon or one of those handy cookie scoops, shape mixture into balls and roll in shredded coconut. (If mixture is too thin, use additional almond flour, adding a tablespoon at a time.)  Place balls 2 inches apart onto cookie sheet lined with unbleached parchment. 
• Flatten cookies with damp spatula.  For a festive look, garnish with dried cranberries or cherries.
• Bake until golden (approximately 8-10 minutes depending on size of cookie.)  Watch closely to avoid burning.

Makes between 2 - 4 dozen cookies, depending on desired size.