When striking a balance with friends and family members in an attempt to maintain your healthy lifestyle and still make the kids happy, it sometimes comes down to compromise. This recipe became a thing in an attempt to satisfy birthday party “make your own sundae” bowls, while still keeping sugar intake and non functional foods to a minimum. This is a very low maintenance way to create food sculpture that can look fancy, be tasty, but also supportive of your health goals. They also work well with coconut cream ice cream, fruit sorbet, fruit bowls with cream, or as a cookie base for any dessert.
Ingredients
2 large egg whites, separated
⅔ cup almond flour
2 Tbsp arrowroot flour
¼ cup coconut sugar
3 Tbsp coconut cream
1 tsp Himalayan salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Non stick medium frying pan OR waffle iron
Six 2 cup glass mason jars OR a waffle cone maker OR alternative mould of choice.
Instructions
The first thing to note is that this does take fast hands, focus, and a bit of artistic ability. The most basic way to make this work is by shaping the soft, finished cookie over a glass jar, so that it forms an inverted bowl. The most complicated involves a trip to the specialty kitchen equipment store to get yourself a waffle cone maker. Making these waffle bowls can be a great activity to do with older kids, as long as they wear oven mitts or a silicone glove to protect their fingers. So, decide how you will be making these bowls or cones, in a pan or with a waffle iron, and over a jar or cup to make bowls or in a cone maker for cones. You can also make your own cone mould and roll your own cones, but it is a bit more work. At the end of the day, as long as they have that delicious waffle aroma and flavor, you have succeeded!
To make the batter, first separate the egg whites into a large, chilled bowl. You can set the yolks aside for another use. Beat the whites until stiff peaks form using a whisk or egg beaters. The stiffened egg whites will help to make the cones/bowls hold their shape, so it is important not to skip this step.
In another bowl, combine all the dry ingredients (almond flour, arrowroot flour, coconut sugar, and salt) and mix them together well until uniform. The almond flour can be substituted for any other nut/seed meal, but the coconut sugar cannot be substituted. As the finished dough needs to be malleable and only slightly sticky, these ingredients have been chosen very specifically to give the cones/bowls their shape, texture and taste.
Next add the coconut cream and vanilla to the dry ingredients and stir them in until a smooth batter forms. Now gently fold in the egg whites, gradually adding to the batter while keeping as many of those tiny bubbles intact as is possible.
To cook these cookies, you have several options, depending on your kitchen equipment and utensils. However, overall it is a two step process of cooking the malleable cookie, and then shaping the bowls or cones. I will describe the most simple method first:
Set up a baking tray with six 2 cup mason jars or small cups with wide bottoms upside down on a baking tray. Heat a medium frying pan on medium heat until evenly heated through. Now pour a small dollop (about ⅓ cup) of batter onto the pan and spread it out with a spatula to make a thin circle, forming a crepe or pancake. Reduce the heat to medium/low and let it cook through, about 1-2 minutes, watching so that it doesn’t burn. Flip the cookie/crepe over to evenly cook the other side to a golden brown for another 1-2 minutes. By the way, this batter is also great for grain free pancakes/waffles!
Remove the cookie from the pan and carefully place it over the bottom of one of the inverted (lid down) jars/cups so it is laying in the center and all edges are the same length all the way around. Next carefully use your fingers or the back of a spoon to shape the edges into a bowl by pinching them together where they naturally overlap or at equal intervals. This can look as rustic or detailed as you like or talent allows! Repeat this process with the other waffle bowls.
Let the cookies cool over the jars until they are firm and set.
Alternatively, you can use a waffle maker to prepare the cookies. Heat your waffle maker until it’s ready, then pour the batter into the center of the mould, close the lid, and let it cook until golden brown. Once it is cooked, pick it up with tongs or a spatula and lay it evenly over the bottom of the inverted jar or cup, forming it into an inverted bowl by carefully pinching the edges together while the cookie is still warm.
A third option is to use a waffle cone maker to shape your finished cookie/crepe into a cone. This tool feeds the cookie in through one side, and then presses the edges together as it is rolled into a cone. You can also make your own cone mould, but this is more challenging as the cookie is hot and delicate when you are shaping it into its final form. It comes down to how fancy do you want these cookie bowls/cones to look and how much will they be appreciated before being devoured.
Once they are set and cooled, the bowls are ready to use. They do not stay crisp more than a day, so if using later, reheat them for 5 minutes in the oven at 200°F until they crisp back up. If they are not crisp enough for you the first time you form them, you can use this trick too by simply putting the whole baking tray, jars and all, in the oven for 5 minutes to bake, then leave them in there to cool again. These cookie cones/bowls are good for up to 5 days (stored in an airtight container in the fridge) but are best when fresh.
Enjoy!
