Coconut "Macaroonies" (Grain Free)

Every time I post a gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free or all-of-the-above-free recipe, I question why it might get attention. Why not post about regular blondies? Well because, these "coconut blondies" are just so much more interesting. And I am always proved wrong...you like alternative stuff. As bakers, I feel we are most fresh when we are playing around, continuing to grow and working with different ingredients. You all seemed to love my almond flour scones and muffins and my coconut flour brownies. I continually turn to the coconut brownies in fact, even often over normal ones (gasp!). And so here I am today with another coconut flour win that comes from none other than Saveur's Ben Mims this month. He described them as a macaroon, in blondie form, but without all the coconut strands. And he is exactly right.  And we liked them so much I made them twice in a week.

All we need

I posted a photo on Instagram last week of my kitchen countertop (which is more like a station, a patch of work space) before and after I KonMari'ed it. I am a proponent of her method, though admittedly find the folding techniques a bit too much. Nevertheless, I've been enjoying the Internet chatter over her latest installment, which advocates keeping kitchen counters completely clear. Nearly impossible for many of us. Laughable, even for frequent home-cooks (Kondo doesn't cook much). But. There was something here. I wondered what would happen if I pared down what I kept out in the open, and, as if by magic, my entire cooking life transformed.  Well...not exactly : ) But I can't help but think a few things went differently after I addressed this...

Hip and Down-Home

A few months ago, Ed and I grabbed a pre-concert bite with my brother-in-law at a burger bar 30 seconds from our apartment. To his surprise we'd never been before, even though it's been bustling for the past year or two with folks waiting outside. Man, people and burgers...(?!) Nevertheless, it was good, the scene just the right mixture of hip and down-home...and I just had to opt for the house beef blend even though I don't do much beef. After we went back a few times and I found myself about $4 too deep into curating my toppings--smashed avocado, smoked gouda and spicy aioli please!--I decided it was dumb I was not making burgers at home more.