This morning, I crawled out of my warm bed and peeked out the window to discover a blanket of white snow covering the cold ground. Rather than play outside, I chose to stay inside and bake macaroons. I’d been craving them since I saw Sprouted Kitchen’s recipe for chocolate-dipped macaroons.

Growing up, I remember eating macaroons in my grandmother Mimi‘s kitchen, so they are a sentimental cookie. Mimi knew macaroons were my dad’s favorite. I had mixed feelings about macaroons until I discovered unsweetened coconut flakes. At that point, I knew I’d love a lightened-up macaroon, and I’m glad to say I’ve found just the right recipe.

I followed Sara’s recipe, with a few minor exceptions, and I’ve further adapted the recipe enough to call it my own. I used turbinado sugar instead of sucanat, since I couldn’t find sucanat at the store. Turbinado sugar is partially refined cane sugar, whereas sucanat is unrefined whole cane sugar. I traded maple syrup for the honey and added just a dash of cinnamon, which makes these macaroons extra special. I also pulled the macaroons out of the oven after fifteen minutes; they would have burned in the nineteen minutes the recipe specified. See my version of the recipe below.

These macaroons are remarkably simple to make and deceptively fancy. They’ve become my signature cookie. Cookie can barely keep her paws off them!