Hi loved ones!
About a year and a bit more ago, my interest in vegan macarons grew immensely. By then I already got to make non-vegan macarons quite successfully and I didn’t think that the vegan version would be so challenging. So yes. Making macarons is challenging. Many principles need to be taken into account for the result to be successful. Even these macarons I just made, are not 100% perfect. That’s because my oven doesn’t distribute heat evenly, and that is a crucial principle in making macarons.
Vegan Macrons Tip number 1 - Know your Oven
The oven temperature, first and foremost, must be even and stable. Otherwise, many issues may arise. If the heat is too high, the macarons can lose their shape and spread during baking. If the heat is too low, the macarons may not develop their feet, or develop it unevenly. This is what happened to me this time. Despite that, they came out great. Full of flavor and beautiful. We have progressed here! And yes, it took a year to get to that mediocre result. How do you fix it? Place the baking tray on the top level of the oven. Sometimes, (not always and not in every oven) the tray should be rotated every few minutes so that the macarons are baked on each side. The bottom line, this is a recipe that needs to be practiced. See what works for you. Hey … it took me a year!
Vegan Macrons Tip number 2 - Research
I need to note that if you are attempting to make this Vegan Macarons recipe, and it’s your first time, my advice is to research macarons, and vegan macarons in addition to reading this post. I was reading a lot of posts and blogs and watched many videos to better my technique as much as possible. Bear in mind that I threw quite a few batches into the garbage until I started doing it right. Learning what are the best tools and ingredients worth using, and how to properly work with my oven. I Suggest not to give up if you don’t succeed the first few times. Join Facebook groups and forums that provide information on this subject.
I will soon write an article that explains in detail the techniques for making macarons in the best way. In the meantime, it is very important to follow these principles:
Aquafaba
resemble egg whites as much as possible. Therefore, you want to reduce the chickpea water to half of the amount obtained from a can. If you make aquafaba yourself, you will recognize that the percentage of protein is high if after the aquafaba cools down, it gets a giggly, gelatinous texture like egg whites has. To read more on Aquafaba you can go to The Full Guide To Aquafaba blog post.
your Oven temperature
The most important principle here. In my opinion. Understanding your oven is a game-changer when it comes to macarons. It is better to start with a low baking temperature of between 110 and 115 degrees Celsius, (you have a conversion table below) and that the oven won’t be on a ventilation program, but on a grill program. Again, this matter depends on your oven. My oven for example, if I bake at 115 degrees with ventilation, the heat may even reach 140 degrees Celsius because the oven thermostat is constantly trying to keep the oven warm. The ventilation causes instability in the oven heat whenever the oven tries constantly to reheat itself.
Weighing your ingredients
All ingredients must be accurately weighed. Also, prepare the baking tray with the macaron’s silicone mat in advance. Prepare the piping bag with the round tip and place it inside a tall cup. Prepare all the tools and ingredients in advance and don’t let the meringue wait. The whole process should happen without waiting otherwise the meringue may oxidize and lose its strength.
Drying your macarons
Here again, you need to exercise discretion. In the recipe, it is written to dry for 40 minutes. However, it also depends on where you are at, and whether the humidity in your area is high or low. Also, whether you can dry your macarons in the oven or not. The texture after drying should be matte. Not shiny nor sticky. Each macaron you’ve piped should feel stable without moisture. On the other hand, it shouldn’t be over-dried as well, otherwise, the typical foot of the macaron may not come out.
Must mention here the vegan Valerona Inspiration chocolate series. Of course, you can make strawberry ganache yourself but Valrhona’s strawberry chocolate does an easier and faster job and has great flavor. Valerona chocolates are the most recommended in my opinion when used for macarons or baking. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have. Good luck!
Vegan Strawberry Banana Macarons
Equipment
- Mixer
- Scale
- Spatula
- Strainer
- Toothpick
- Macaron silicone mat
- Baking Tray
- Piping bag for the macarons (large)
- Piping bags for the fillings (2 small)
- Oven thermometer
Ingredients
Vegan Macaron Shells
- 75 Grams Reduced aquafaba From 2 cans of chickpeas. reduce the water to half of the amount and chill overnight.
- 66 Grams Sugar
- 110 Grams Almond flour
- 110 Grams Powdered sugar
- ¼ Tsp Cream of tartar powder
- 3 Drops Yellow gel food coloring I used Americolor
Vegan Strawberry Ganache
- 140 Grams Strawberry chocolate by Valrhona Inspiration
- 70 ml Plant milk
- Pinch Salt
Vegan Banana Pudding
- 1 Banana Cut to chunks
- 1 Cup Plant milk
- 1 Tsp Vanilla paste
- 2 Tbsp. Cornstarch
- 4 Tbsp. Sugar
Instructions
Vegan Macaron Shells
- Reduce the aquafaba the day before and leave to cool in the refrigerator.
- Weigh all the macaron ingredients to the exact weight.
- Strain the almond flour and powdered sugar into a bowl. (Preferably twice)
- In a mixer bowl start mixing the aquafaba and cream of tartar on medium speed until the chickpea water starts to get foamy.
- Increase the mixer to high speed and add the sugar in 3 beats with a break of one minute between each time. Whisk for 10-15 minutes or until you see that the meringue is very firm and forms spikes that shoot up without bending. You can add the food coloring while whisking.
- Add the sifted almond flour and powdered sugar and start with the macaronage.
- Macronage - Fold the almond mixture and powdered sugar into the meringue well until all the mixture is combined. Continue to mix until the mixture falls out of the spatula effortlessly.
- Pour the mixture into a piping bag with a round piping tip.
- Start piping the batter onto the baking tray with the macron silicon mat, at 90 degrees to form a circle.
- Beat the baking tray on the surface several times, to expel air bubbles upwards. Take a toothpick and close air bubbles that rise above the surface of the macarons.
- Leave macarons to dry until you notice that the macaron's surface is completely dry and not shiny. It takes between 40 minutes to 1 hour. Can also be dried in the oven at 30 degrees of ventilation.
- After touching the macaron and it feels stable and dry, take it out of the oven and preheat the oven to 110°C-115°C degrees, with no ventilation. Place a thermometer inside to check the oven temperature.
- Bake the macarons for an hour. They are ready when they have "feet" and they are very dry.
- Allow the macarons to cool completely before separating from the pan.
Vegan Strawberry Ganache
- Melt the chocolate with the plant milk in a bowl, in the microwave or Bain Marie, mix well, and set aside to cool.
- After the ganache has cooled a bit, transfer it to a small piping bag, chill in the refrigerator until stabilized enough for piping.
Vegan Banana Pudding
- Bring the plant milk to a boil with the banana cuts and vanilla paste. As it boils, turn off the heat and cover it with a lid. You can also do this the night before and keep it in the fridge, and let the banana infuse into the milk.
- The next day, strain the milk from the bananas and add the cornstarch and sugar to the milk in a saucepan, and mix well.
- Cook the banana milk in a small pot and stir until completely thickens. About 5 minutes after boiling. Leave to cool, and after cooling pour into the 2nd small piping bag, and allow to set in the refrigerator.
- Once the 2 fillings are firm and stable, you can pipe them into the macarons. Pipe the strawberry chocolate in a circular motion around the base of the macaron and the banana pudding in the middle of the macaron. Close it with another macaron shell.
- The macarons should be refrigerated overnight before serving.
