Offer clients a sweet treat that won’t pack on the pounds!
MiravalMiraval
Coming up with healthy-yet-delicious nibbles to serve your clients can be a challenge. Thankfully, cookbooks such as the newly published Miraval’s Sweet & Savory Cooking provide plenty of food for thought. The book is the first by executive chef Justin Cline Macy and pastry chef Kim Macy, the husband-and-wife team who helm the kitchen at Miraval Resort & Spa in Tucson, Arizona.
As the resort’s CEO Michael Tompkins notes in the introduction, “Miraval’s philosophy isn’t about denial or restriction; rather, it’s about mindful choices. When Kim develops a new recipe, her process is deliberate and thoughtful. She chooses to use smaller amounts of rich ingredients and only where they really matter.”
“Miraval’s mint chocolate macaroons are a perfect example, and one of my favorite recipes,” Kim tells us. “They simplify a seemingly complex dessert and are indulgent without being over the top. The macaroons satisfy sweet cravings without breaking the calorie bank or requiring additives or artificial sweeteners.”
Any tips for baking newbies? “The key is to fold in the ingredients very gently so that you don’t deflate all the volume that you’ve whipped into the egg whites,” she advises.
A menu with macaroons? Now that’s a regimen your clients will embrace this Valentine’s Day!
Mint Chocolate Macaroons
Makes 2 dozen
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
5 egg whites
¼ cup chopped chocolate mint candies
(such as Andes)
Heat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
In a stand mixer with a whip attachment, whip egg whites until soft peaks form. Slowly add sugar,
a half-cup at a time. Next, add cocoa powder at
low speed, then fold in chopped candies using
a rubber spatula.
Transfer batter to a piping bag—no tip needed. (You can also use a large zip-top plastic bag with a corner snipped off.) Pipe out quarter-sized mounds of batter on the baking sheet. Bake until macaroons are puffed to about double their size and a crisp shell has formed on top (12 to 15 minutes).
Remove from oven, release from parchment and cool to room temperature.
