These light, moist cookies are absolutely delicious and surprisingly contain no sugar. Instead, they are sweetened with Stevia, a natural plant extract that is not harmful to health like sugar is, but is much sweeter than sugar, so less is needed.

They also contain coconut, which is packed with healthy saturated fats that are used as energy rather than stored as fat by the body, and are needed for healthy cells, as well as protecting against infections.

Ingredients

• 2 egg whites
• 1 cup (250 ml) desiccated (shredded) coconut
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons Stevia blend
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• Good quality dark chocolate - optional.

Makes about 15 cookies.

Preparation

• In a mixing bowl, whisk together egg whites and vanilla until glossy peaks form.

• Add the Stevia and salt and whisk until combined.

• Gently fold in the coconut. Let the mixture sit for five minutes.

• Drop the batter onto a parchment lined baking sheet, one rounded tablespoonful at a time, and about 1 inch apart.

• Bake at 150 degrees for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned.

• Remove the macaroons from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then place them on a wire rack to cool.

• These cookies are delicious eaten as they are, but for an added treat they can be topped with chocolate.

• To make chocolate macaroons, melt a few squares of dark chocolate slowly on the hob, stirring frequently. Cover the bottoms of the macaroons in the chocolate, and invert them on the wire rack to cool.