Coconut Madelines: Fancy Gluten Free Cookies
Yesterday I was craving coconut macaroons, but I really wanted to try out my new Madeline pan. So, these coconut madelines were born. These are good enough to have with your morning coffee for a luxurious treat and fancy enough to make for company. I used a combo of gluten-free flour and almond flour and made them a bit cakey. The combo of coconut cream, mascarpone cheese and butter make them extra moist, and the addition of lavender simple syrup takes the flavor up a notch (you can’t taste the lavender, it just gives it a little extra something). These were devoured by the kids and adults alike. I made half of them with chocolate chips (as requested by a seven-year-old) but the coconut version was by far the best.
Flavors and serving ideas
These cookies would be amazing with a lemon flavor too… with the lavender simple syrup any kind of citrus would work well if coconut isn’t your thing. These cookies are a bit cake-like, so they would work equally well for dunking in hot drinks, or heating up and serving with a scoop of gelato.
Lemon Upside-Down Cake
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup gluten-free flour (I used Pillsbury)
- 1/2 cup almond flour finely ground
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup simple syrup (regular simple syrup or maple syrup will also work)
- 1/4 cup goat cheese
- 4 tbsp full-fat Greek yogurt
- 1/2 stick butter (4 tablespoons)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1.5 tsp lemon extract
- 1 tsp. butter extract
- 1 tbsp. lemon zest
For the caramel
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 6 tbsp water
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
For the orange topping
- 1 large Cara Cara orange
- 1 large lemon
Instructions
- Once that mixture is creamy, add in vanilla, lemon and butter extracts.
- Mix together all of the dry ingredients.
- Fold the dry mixture into the wet mixture gently and stir until just blended.
- Preheat your oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Follow the directions below, adding the caramel, lemons oranges to the pan before baking for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
For the caramel
- Place the sugar and water in a small sauce pan and stir on medium heat for about ten minutes, or until it is a little thicker and coats a spoon. Take it off the heat and add the salt and butter, stirring to combine.
To combine it
- Lightly butter an 8-inch nonstick round pan, and pour the caramel into the pan. Layer the citrus slices how you want them to look. I chose a round pattern, alternating Cara Cara oranges and lemon slices.
- Pour the cake over the citrus slices. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Wait for the pan to cool.
To plate the cake
- Invert the well-cooled plate over the cake pan, then flip it over to let it pop out onto the plate.
Madelines dusted with powdered sugar 
Coconut Madelines and chocolate chip Madelines on a baking rack 
Coconut Madelines on a baking rack
For another decadent cookie recipe, click here.
For a selection of baking racks and Madeline pans needed to make this recipe, visit my LTK.it shop here.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I get a small commission if you purchase anything linked here.
About The Author
Sarah
I am a mom of two and wife to a martial arts school owner, full-time social media professional and avid cook and gardener. I love creating recipes and involving my kids in the process. The food we cook is usually dairy-free and gluten-free, and sometimes paleo, but we make exceptions (ahem, sourdough bread). The “hippie” part of this blog comes into play in the ingredients we use—I’m pretty vigilant about the health of my family and you could even call me “crunchy.” The “modern” part is that I am busy! You won’t catch me making my own nut milk or churning butter (not that there’s anything wrong with that). I’m more than happy to take the shortcuts provided by our lovely grocery stores and online shopping —especially in the midst of this global pandemic.