Jammy Oatmeal Macaroons

I am pretty sure that if Alton Brown was about 30 years younger, I would be insistent on marrying him.

Ok, let's be real: I still want to marry him. Is that creepy? Probably. Justified? Completely. If you guys have never seen Good Eats, then you are in major need of some intensive show-watching therapy. Somehow, his quirky and humorous nature helps remind me that food is both a science and an art-- and a yummy one at that.

Whenever I watch him, I always want to bake and try new things. When I stumbled upon a recipe on Sunday at 2 for Oatmeal Citron Macaroons, it sounded just quirky enough to fit my post-Good Eats mood. I am so glad that I used it as inspiration for these beautiful cookies!

These bright, fruit-filled macaroons are a cinch to make! With the lightness of meringue mixed with the chewy, hearty texture of oatmeal and coconut, these little guys taste amazing fresh out of the oven. Egg whites are whipped until stiff, then gently folded into an oatmeal-coconut mixture. A touch of orange and strawberry preserves makes me feel like it is sunny outside-- despite the -8 degree weather (yes, negative 8, my dears).

These are best eaten the day of, and I can assure you there will be no problem with that. They are only 36 calories each, low fat and low sugar, and taste divine. So no worries about eating the entire batch with your family in one day... and if you feel like that is going overboard (because hey, it might be, but I'm for it if it's healthy!) and do have leftovers post-first day, then I would suggest crumbling them on top of yogurt or cereal for an extra-special treat.

Cookies, cookies, galore! 

Jammy Oatmeal Macaroons
Adapted from Sunday at 2
Makes 16 cookies             Calories/cookie: 36

Ingredients:

• 1/2c. unsweetened flaked coconut
• 2/3c. rolled oats
• 1/4tsp salt
• 2 large egg whites
• 1/8tsp cream of tartar
• 1/4tsp orange extract
• 3tbl splenda
• 3tbl sugar-free strawberry jam

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a large baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Meanwhile, combine coconut, oats, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. In a medium white bowl, beat together egg whites, cream of tartar, and orange extract until very foamy. Gradually increase the speed, and add sugar (while beating) one tablespoon at a time until egg whites are stiff and glossy. Fold the dry ingredients into the egg whites, being very gentle and mixing until almost incorporated. Add in dollops of the jam (about 1 tsp each, placed at various places in the bowl to ensure there aren't clumps of cookies that get more jam than others) into the mix, and then fold in until only slight streaks remain.
4. Use a tablespoon measure to place dollops of batter onto the parchment paper, leaving about 1 inch between each cookie. Gently press down the tops, slightly. Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Remove from pan to cool slightly, then eat!