Vanilla Coconut Macaroons

Crispy, chewy, super coconut-y -- in my mind, that makes the perfect coconut macaroon.

In my younger days, I was all about chocolate, chocolate chocolate. Chocolate ice cream, double chocolate chip cookies, chocolate lava cake, yes please! And, to be clear, I do still LOVE chocolate.

But nowadays, sometimes I just want something a little lighter for dessert. Something that is just subtly sweet but loaded with great flavor. A lemon sorbet, perhaps, or a raspberry crumble bar. Or maybe, just maybe, a delicious Vanilla Coconut Macaroon.

Actually, there is no maybe. I DEFINITELY want one of these cookies...and then another and another. They are the ultimate trifecta of macaroon bliss (see above) with the added gourmet sweetness of two types of vanilla. I started this recipe by taking the caviar out of a vanilla bean and rubbing it into granulated sugar. This scents the sugar and permeates the vanilla flavor throughout the entire batter. Next, egg whites are whipped with the vanilla sugar to stiff peaks. This makes our macaroons a little more meringue-like. This is an optional step, but I think it really pumps up both the crispy outside and chewy gooey inside.

The recipe below can be easily adapted to suit you and your macaroon dreams! For a crunchier cookie, try toasting your coconut before mixing it into the egg whites. If you don't prefer that meringue-like exterior, just use a whisk to beat the egg whites until they are frothy and follow the rest of the recipe as written. I am also quite sure these are gluten free as long as you choose your ingredients accordingly - just check the labels!

Honey Butter

Today is the day that we will talk about butter in a very serious way.

Butter is a great thing. It adds body and flavor to pan sauces. It is the only thing that makes puff pastry the ultimate culinary vehicle. Without butter, cookies would be bland and scones would choke us half to death.

I don't want to take this any further. I just want to tell you about this Honey Butter.

The addition of sweet honey, spicy cinnamon, and soft vanilla extract takes ordinary butter and makes it extraordinary. It compliments sweet breads and homemade muffins in a way that will make you weak at the knees. You might want to bathe in it, and that's something you can do on your own time. If you want to put this on buttermilk pancakes, Lord knows I won't stop you. In fact, I'd really enjoy an invite to that breakfast.

This recipe is an easy way to elevate a breakfast or brunch table to the next level. It is an added touch of homemade that tells your guests (or just your family on a daily basis) that you truly care. Odds are you probably already have all these ingredients awaiting you in the pantry.

Last weekend, a couple of my good friends from college and I got together for a Sunday brunch. I was in charge of the carbohydrate and, since it was St. Patty's day and all, I made an Irish Soda Bread. But I couldn't leave well enough alone, and I brought a big log of honey butter over as well. HOLY YUM. So worth it.

The process of making honey butter is pretty simple. Take 2 sticks of butter and cut then into smaller pieces. I just sliced them by the tablespoon. Allow to soften just slightly.

Butter gets softened in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Honey, cinnamon, and vanilla extra join the party. You start drooling uncontrollably.

The butter mixture then gets wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and chilled for at least 2 hours.

Once the butter has set, you can use it as a topping for all sorts of baked goods. It would even be delicious as a quick snack on top of salty Ritz crackers. Leftover butter can be frozen for future use. And it all happens in 15 minutes. You know you want it.