Nine hours. That’s how long it took me to drive from Massachusetts to New Jersey yesterday. How long should it have taken? 4-5 depending on NORMAL traffic. But no, I was instead hit by a snow storm that kept me at no more than 15 miles per hour throughout the state of Connecticut. And if you know me, you know how I feel about driving on 95 in the Connecticut.

So that’s why this post is a day late.Whatever, it was worth it to get to go bake in my bake center. If it was at all feasible, I would drive up every weekend just to get to use it. And to see my parents, of course.

As I mentioned before, they’re moving into a new house. And while my mom stands and stares at her kitchen, trying to figure out where to put things, I’ve been doing the same with my bake center. I had never really thought about the optimal set up for baking. Should the pie plates go in a drawer, a bottom cabinet, or a top cabinet? What spices are considered “baking spices” versus “cooking spices”? Do regular cookbooks belong on the shelves, or just baking-specific books? What if it’s a regular cookbook with a really good recipe for coconut macaroons? Obviously, I have a lot to think about.

Anyways, it didn’t stop me from using it in its not-quite-organized state. Continuing with the theme of baking for others during Lent, I decided to make something gluten-free AND coconut for my mom. She recently gave up gluten, and I felt bad making cookies with flour a couple weeks ago. And coconut is her favorite. So this is what I found!

First, you’ll have to melt the coconut oil. I’ve never baked with coconut oil before, and didn’t realize oil could be solid. I thought that by definition oil was an unsaturated fat and therefore liquid. But it did indeed need melting. I did so by putting it in a liquid measuring cup and microwaving it on high power in 10 second intervals, stirring or adding more as necessary, until it was stirrable.

Then, whisk together the coconut oil, brown sugar, and egg in a bowl until combined.

Add the oats and stir with a wooden spoon to coat. I used a sturdy rubber spatula only because I don’t know that we have any wooden spoons in our current stage of unpacking.

Then, add the coconut and stir to combine. As I told you when making coconut macaroon nests, coconut is an ingredient that should be packed into a measuring cup.

Drop the dough by the tablespoon on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Another awesome realization of the weekend: my new oven is big enough to accommodate the large cookie sheets my mom bought awhile ago that didn’t fit in the old oven. So it was kind of like having brand new cookie sheets!

Bake for 12 minutes at 325°F, or until edges are golden. Allow to cool on pan for at least 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool further.

At this point my mom was sitting and staring at them while fake-crying because I wouldn’t let her have any until they had cooled for five minutes. This is an important step because, as she found out, if you try to pick them up earlier they just fall apart.Store in an airtight container. Another option, since they are very similar to macaroons, would be to dip them in or drizzle them with dark chocolate. Although, that’s really an option with just about everything.

Enjoy!

 

Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 egg
• 2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1 1/2 cups sweetened coconut flakes, packed

Directions:

1. Whisk together the coconut oil, brown sugar, and egg in a large bowl until smooth.
2. Add the oats and stir to combine.
3. Add the coconut and mix well.
4. Drop the dough by the rounded tablespoon on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
5. Bake at 325°F for 12 minutes or until edges are golden.
6. Allow cookies to cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.