Cookin' Like a Chef: Vegan Raspberry Macaroons

Vegan Raspberry macaroons
Makes 16 small macaroons

8 fresh dates
1/2 cup almond flour
3/4 cup desiccated coconut, unsweetened
½ cup plant milk of choice

Vegan raspberry filling
1 cup fresh raspberries (or thawed frozen)
10 fresh dates
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp plant milk

5 oz vegan dark chocolate

Preparing the biscuit:Mash up the dates with a fork or use a food processor. Add the remaining ingredients an stir until well combined. Use your hands to shape small balls, about half the size of a golf ball. Place them on the baking paper and flatten them out a bit, they should roughly have the size and shape of a French macaroon. About 2 inches wide. But you can also make them larger, if you prefer. Bake for about 12-14 minutes and then leave to cool completely. They will feel quite loose right away but firm up as they cool. Meanwhile prepare the raspberry cream.

Preparing the raspberry filling: Mix together the ingredients in a high-speed blender. If you want a smoother filling without seeds, you can pass it through a sieve. Put in the fridge to firm up.

Assembling: Turn the cooled biscuits upside-down. Spread about two teaspoons buttercream filling onto the flat base of each biscuit and use a knife or a pallet knife to shape the cream into cones. You can also use a pastry bag to pipe the filling onto the biscuits. Leave to cool for about 15 minutes in the fridge. Cut the chocolate into smaller pieces and melt it over a water bath/double boiler. Take it off and leave for a minute or so to cool down slightly. Hold the base of the biscuit between your finger tips and dip the cone into the chocolate. Twist and shake off any excess chocolate before putting it down. Repeat with the remaining biscuits. Can be served immediately, kept in the fridge for a few days or frozen and saved.