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Carrot Cake Macaroons

15/02/2016 By Laura Hemmington Leave a Comment

Carrot Cake Macaroons 5

What’s in a name? Cake, cookie, muffin – these Carrot Cake Macaroons could (and have) come under all of these guises during the long journey of recipe development that I unwittingly embarked upon for six – yes six – trials of carrot cake.

Sometimes, you just have to keep going until you get a recipe right. That, and a love for the flavour of carrot cake that makes you do such things (for proof, see my earlier foray into Carrot Cake Bites; if you haven’t tried them yet, you should).

Carrot Cake Macaroons 2This all began when my favourite maker of chocolate, Seed and Bean, asked me if I wanted to create a recipe using their glorious products (yes, of course I would). But what to make?

When the veritable parcel of chocolatey wonder arrived at my desk and I surveyed the flavours – Lemon & Cardamom, Salted, Lavender – I immediately picked out Just Ginger, for a spicy addition to my baking. And what better partner to carrot cake than ginger?

Carrot Cake Macaroons 1

And so began the seemingly endless parade of carrot cake failures, which follows thus:

  1. a wholemeal flour carrot cake which refused to cook and made a big soggy mess;
  2. a spelt carrot cake that was so dry that it worked well as a brick;
  3. version 2 of the spelt carrot cake, which had the right level of moisture, but somehow tasted of cement. Start to have nightmares;
  4. an oat carrot cake cookie with a great taste, only slightly compromised by a crumbly structure;
  5. an oat carrot cake cookie with oat flour, which morphed into muffin top. Have more nightmares, dream of coconut;
  6. an oat carrot cake cookie with added coconut, which transformed into a macaroon: an excellent tasting, crisp & squidgy, carrot cake-flavoured delight.

Fin.

Carrot Cake Macaroons 3

What with the concurrent trials of frosting, chocolate melting and combining all three, I realised my quest was becoming other-worldly and I had reached the end of the carrot cake line. This is what happens when you’re not a natural baker (and one who won’t use refined sugar, white flour, dairy or eggs), and a stubborn perfectionist (control freak); and you decide you have to create a cake to satisfy your self-imposed standards.

So be prepared for a lot of simple, savoury, delicious recipes from now on in, because I just can’t cope with the number of carrots that have been shredded and baked to no satisfaction at all.

Carrot Cake Macaroons 4

But in the meantime, make a batch of these delicious Carrot Cake Macaroons – the ginger chocolate really does work a treat with the orange and carrot. They’re also:

  • simple and quick to make;
  • super healthy;
  • really, really carrot-cake like; and
  • perfect for breakfast!

You also get a bonus vanilla frosting recipe with this one – because if you’ve read this far, you deserve one.

I now need to lie down and think of something other than carrot cake.

Carrot Cake Macaroons
 
Print
Preparation time
10 mins
Cooking time
20 mins
Total time
30 mins
 
A bite-size alternative to carrot cake, these oaty macaroons are just delicious for when you fancy something sweet. So easy to make, and ready in no time!
Author: The Whole Ingredient
Recipe type: Sweet
Cuisine: 30 minutes or less, Vegan, Gluten Free
Serves: 10
Ingredients
  • For the Macaroons
  • 100g rolled oats
  • 100g puréed apple/apple sauce (see note)
  • 100g grated carrot
  • 25g dessicated coconut
  • 2 tbsp tahini, or nut butter
  • 1 tbsp melted coconut oil
  • 3 medjool dates (or 6 smaller dates), chopped small
  • 1 tsp orange zest (organic/unwaxed)
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • Pinch of good salt
  • For the Frosting
  • 75g cashews, pre-soaked in boiling water
  • 90ml non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened soy)
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp solid coconut oil
  • Seeds of 1 vanilla pod
  • Pinch of good salt
  • For the Chocolate
  • 50g Seed & Bean Just Ginger Chocolate
Method
  1. Heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4.
  2. To make the macaroons, add all the ingredients to a mixing bowl and stir until combined.
  3. Take spoonfuls of the macaroon mixture and form golf-ball sized balls, placing on a silicone baking mat or a parchment paper-lined tray. Press each down gently.
  4. Cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until golden.
  5. While the macaroons are cooking, make the frosting. Put all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until you have a smooth paste. You will need to scrape down the sides a few times and keep going until it's all combined. Transfer to a sterilised jar until needed (any leftovers will keep in the fridge or freezer).
  6. Once the macaroons are cooked, leave to cool before decorating.
  7. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water on the hob, stirring until completely melted. Take a teaspoon and drizzle over the macaroons. Do the same for the frosting.
Notes
I use homemade puréed apple, which, for the amount needed in this recipe, equates to 2 small eating apples (about 130g). Core and cut into small chunks, cover in a pan with boiling water and cook for 5-10 minutes. The water should evaporate. Put the apple pieces into a food processor and purée.
Use gluten-free oats if necessary.
3.5.3208

Seed and Bean kindly provided the chocolate for this recipe, but all opinions are entirely my own. 

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Filed Under: sweet Tagged With: baking, carrot cake, chocolate, coconut, coconut oil, flourless, gluten free, healthy, macaroons, plant-based, refined sugar-free, Seed and Bean, vegan, vegan chocolate, vegan recipe, wholefoods

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