The colder months of the year can be rough on your body. Somewhere, underneath all the layers and layers of clothing, your skin is likely dry, your immune system is overworked, and if you have any kind of old joint injury, it’s likely reminding you with a not-so-friendly flare-up. Why Valentine’s Day would be scheduled for such a glum time of the year, we’ll never know! But for all these reasons (and so many more), now’s an ideal time to incorporate more circulation-promoting, immune-boosting, anti-inflammatory superfoods. In other words, now’s a perfect time to put turmeric to use.
Turmeric has been the subject of a tremendous amount of healing promise in medical literature, but is best known for its ability to fight inflammation, aid with joint health, protect mental health, and encourage a sense of warmth thanks to promoting good circulation. And since Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, it also bears mentioning turmeric is supportive of sexual health as well, helping contribute to both male and female hormonal balance.
Cooking-wise, while turmeric is most often lauded as a savory spice, the recent rise in things like “golden milk” (which is just a fancy way of saying a turmeric-infused creamy beverage) proves that its use in sweet recipes is off to a successful start. In our kitchen, we’ve gone a step further and wrapped turmeric up in the comfort of some delicious and super good-for-you macaroon cookies, made with just the nice stuff: almonds, coconut, and spice. The winter weather is always a pretty bitter pill to swallow, so treat yourself to a bite that satisfies your cranky cravings and actually does your body a whole lot of good, too.
Coconut-Turmeric Macaroons
These bite-size cookies are the perfect healthy treat any time of the day, and provide a valuable dose of inflammation-fighting turmeric and energizing fats at the same time. Be sure to keep them refrigerated for the best texture.
Makes about 16 cookies
¾ cup blanched almond flour
½ cup unsweetened dried shredded coconut
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup coconut sugar
½ tsp ground turmeric powder
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Combine all the ingredients in a food processor, and process until coconut is ground down and ingredients are well combined. A tablespoon at a time, form compact balls by hand, or use a melon scooper to create rounds. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of one hour to partially solidify, and keep refrigerated until ready to serve.