This Vegan Macadamia Snickerdoodle Cookie recipe utilizes a soft, buttery dough that's designed to leaven fast in the oven then fall. This results in the trademark crackly top that some say give this cookie the origins of it's name; schneckennudeln which means snail noodle in German. Snickerdoodle dough is similar to sugar cookie dough but there is more leavening power and the dough is rolled in cinnamon sugar prior to baking in the snickerdoodle version. The result is a tender cookie that is slightly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside accompanied by rich cinnamon notes.

If pirates ate brittle (and you know they did) this Vegan Coconut Macadamia Nut Brittle would be the flavor and this is how they'd describe it:

Yaaar ya kitchen dwellin' landlubber! Coconut, caramelized sugar and macadamia nuts be tied together with a splash o' rum t' make this t' brittle o' t' pirate seas, matey! So whip up a batch and hand 'er over before ya be plank walkin'!

They might also marvel in the fact that this vegan brittle recipe uses coconut milk, coconut oil and shredded coconut for maximum coconut flavor, except it would be hard to hear yowled in that thick pirate accent.

I used to own a vegan baking company called Enchanted Oven Baking Co. This Coconut Mac Daddy Macaroon was one of the cookies I sold, individually packaged, to health food stores around the San Francisco Bay Area around 2003-2005. Here it is in all its glory. This recipe has been modified from a 200 cookie batch so please excuse the wonky measurements.

Brown rice syrup, coconut, vanilla extract and just the right amount of macadamia nuts really bring out the best in these dense, chewy coconut macaroons.

This Vegan Tropical Paradise Bar recipe makes perfect vegan energy bars for sporting events, a nutritious snack for people on the go or just for dessert. These gluten-free bars feature a cashew butter base that's sweetened with agave syrup, brown rice syrup then studded with pineapple chunks, macadamia nuts and shredded coconut.

One of my favorite things about coconut is how its simplicity doesn't yearn to be enhanced, combined and built up amongst other ingredients to really shine; its gloriously rich and warm flavors are substantial enough without much else. In this Vegan Coconut Macaroon recipe I chose to showcase coconut with just a touch of brown rice syrup and vanilla extract so the coconut does most of the talking. Coconut is perfectly happy if you are in the paring mood however. If you're feeling so inclined, a drizzle of melted chocolate will bring these to the next level.