When it comes to cookies, deliciousness usually arrives in the form of ingredients like flour, butter, sugar, nuts, and chocolate. So what happens when you can't eat any of these foods? In my case, you start playing with coconut.
Besides nut and chocolate allergies, I am currently on a restricted diet without gluten, soy, dairy, or refined sugar. I had resigned myself to a cookie-less holiday until my mother, ever hopeful, insisted that we find something sweet and celebratory to fill my corner of the cookie platter. Fortunately, coconut (not really a nut!) is one beloved food I can still eat.
For days, my kitchen was covered in all things coconut: shredded coconut, coconut butter, coconut milk, coconut oil, coconut flour. I experimented with different combinations, measurements, cooking methods, and spices, and the result is the confection you see here. Sweet, yet not overwhelmingly so, these coconut snowballs have just the right balance of tender butteriness and textured coconut. They're quick to assemble, require no baking, and are rich enough that one is plenty (maybe two, if you have an accompanying mug of coffee, tea, or cider).
If you're a raw food person, you can also use this recipe; just make sure to use certified raw ingredients or process your own coconut milk, for example.

Coconut Snowballs
Makes 12 balls1 3/4 cups unsweetened shredded coconut, divided
2 teaspoons coconut oil
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Place 1 cup of shredded coconut in a food processor along with the coconut oil. Process on high speed, scraping down the sides periodically, until it reaches a spreadable, paste-like consistency.
Add the maple syrup, coconut milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt and process until well combined. Add 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of shredded coconut and pulse until just combined.
Shape the mixture into 12 (1-inch) balls and coat with the remaining shredded coconut. Refrigerate for at least an hour and up to a week. Bring to room temperature before eating.
Related: Fall Recipe: Gluten-Free & Vegan Gingerbread Cake
(Images: Emily Ho)
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I usually fall into one of two sweet potato camps, depending on the time of year. For Christmas and Thanksgiving, I want marshmallows. Lots and lots of marshmallows. As for the other 363 days, give them to me roasted with a pat of butter. But as much as I love the simplicity of an unadorned baked sweet potato, I forget that just a couple of extra steps can take them from basic to beyond.
Like these whipped sweet potatoes, for instance. They stand right between my two usual preferences, both in purpose and preparation. First you roast them to bring out their natural sweetness, and then you add layers of flavor to bring a bit more complexity. But that's where you stopno marshmallows, cornflakes, or pecan streusels in sight. This recipe meets right in the middle of my extremes.

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When I was young, I wanted nothing to do with the desserts my father brought home from our monthly trips to the Thai market in the city: gray griddled discs of taro root and coconut, round pancakes filled with coconut cream, and layered pink jellies flavored, disappointingly, with coconut.



Do you like pia colada? Then you'll love this nutritious take on the classic. With its fresh coconut and no added sugar, you won't feel guilty about enjoying this smoothie everyday. My friend Alejendra (who also happens to be a doctor) shows us how she makes her delicious green pia colada for her family.
Alejandra believes in the power of a good diet and a healthy food lifestyle. You know this drink is good for you before even drinking it, thanks to the bright green color from the collard greens. By blending up these raw greens, the blender does the work of breaking down the tough leaves so they're more efficiently absorbed by our bodies. Everything from the bananas to the pineapple to the coconut provides a healthy source of vitamins and minerals that come together in a smoothie that is as good for you as it tastes.
A young coconut (which doesn't have the familiar brown husk of the mature variety) can be found in some organic supermarkets like Whole Foods (usually with chilled produce). It is used because the flesh inside is soft and can be easily scooped out. The young coconut also contains more nutrient-rich water. If you can get your hands on one, go for itif not a can of coconut milk will also do.
