Not your average macaron...
18:56
I've been experimenting again! I recently discovered a liquid called aquafaba. Aquafaba is the liquid found in a can of chickpeas that has a similiar consitency to egg whites, so if you have an allergy/intolerance to eggs or are a vegan then this will be great news to you people!
So I went ahead and made macarons with this new alternative and it turned out a success... despite the almonds not totally agreeing with me. So that therefore led me on to wonder why macarons have to be made from ground almonds, why not ground seeds?
After that thought I decided to go ahead and use ground sunflower seeds. I then had the excitement of picking flavours. As a tea lover, I fancied the idea of an earl grey macaron. Not your cup of tea? (I had to, sorry) I also decided on liquorice macarons too.
I hereby give you the recipe to my dairy, gluten, nut and egg free macarons! This one's particularly for the nut allergy sufferers out there who've never experienced a macaron.
Earl Grey Macarons
(with a lemon buttercream and a lemon white chocolate ganache)
(with a lemon buttercream and a lemon white chocolate ganache)
Ingredients:
(makes approx. 10 macarons)
For the macaron shell:
125g aquafaba
1/16 cream of tartar
pinch of salt
75g sunflower seeds
65g icing sugar
55g caster sugar
1 teaspoon loose leaf earl grey tea
optional: blue food colouring
For the lemon buttercream:
50g dairy free margarine
100g icing sugar
juice and zest of half a lemon
For the lemon white chocolate ganache:
50g soya cream
50g dairy free white chocolate
juice of half a lemon
Method:
1. The night before you want to make these, weigh out 125g of aquafaba into a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Simmer until the liquid has reduced to 55g. (I tend to keep pouring out and weighing a few times just to make sure I don't go beyond that point. When you have 55g, pour into a bowl and let it cool. Once cooled, place in the fridge overnight.
2. For the macaron shells, place the sunflower seeds into a food processor and blitz until you get a fine powder.
3. Grind the tea in a pestle and mortar until it's also a fine powder. Add this and the icing sugar into the ground seeds and blitz together. Be careful not to overdo it. Then sieve this mixture into a bowl, making sure there are no large lumps.
4. In a stand mixer (or you can use a bowl and whisk) whisk the aquafaba, cream of tartar and salt until it turns to a foamy, frothy mixture that resembles egg whites.
5. Next, gradually add in the caster sugar and a few drops of food colouring, if using. Mix until you have a glossy mixture.
6. Gradually fold the sunflower seed mixture into the aquafaba, being careful not to overmix otherwise your batter will become runny. Stop when the ground mixture is fully incorporated and you have a thick but smooth mixture.
7. Put the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a round nozzle. Pipe 4cm rounds onto a lined baking tray. (I draw circles on my baking paper to ensure all my macarons are the same size.) Once you've piped out all your macarons, slam the baking tray a few times on a solid surface to ensure there are no air bubbles in your macarons. Leave to rest for about 2 hours until the shells are matte and you can lightly touch the macaron without it sticking to your finger.
8. Whilst the macarons are drying, make the lemon white chocolate ganache. Finely chop the white chocolate and pop into a bowl along with the juice of half a lemon. Heat the soya cream in a small saucepan until it starts to simmer. Pour the cream into the bowl over the chocolate and stir until smooth. Leave to cool then place in the fridge to set.
9. Preheat the oven to 135 degrees. Bake the macarons for 25-30 minutes until they are dry to touch. Try not to open the oven door whilst baking, this will affect the rising of the macarons. Leave to cool.
10. Whilst the macarons are cooling, you can get on with the lemon buttercream. For this, place the margarine into a bowl with the juice and zest of half a lemon. Gradually add in the icing sugar whilst whisking. Whisk until smooth and thick, adding in more icing sugar depending on how thick and sugary you like your buttercream. Put the buttercream into a piping big fitted with a round nozzle ready for the next step.
11. Your macarons should be dry now so it's time to assemble. Turn over half of your macarons. Carefully pipe the buttercream in a ring shape around the edge of the macaron. Place a teaspoon of the ganache in the centre then place an empty macaron shell on top. Repeat until all of your macarons are filled!
12. Place the macarons in the fridge and leave overnight to allow them to set.
Liquorice Macarons
(with a blackberry buttercream and a dark chocolate ganache)
Ingredients:
(makes approx. 10 macarons)
For the macaron shell:
125g aquafaba
1/16 cream of tartar
pinch of salt
75g sunflower seeds
65g icing sugar
55g caster sugar
2 liquorice teabags or 2 teaspoons liquorice flavouring
optional: black food colouring
For the blackberry buttercream:
35g dairy free margarine
100g icing sugar
100g blackberries
For the dark chocolate ganache:
50g soya cream
50g dairy free dark chocolate
Method:
1.
The night before you want to make these, weigh out 125g of aquafaba
into a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Simmer until the liquid has
reduced to 55g. (I tend to keep pouring out and weighing a few times
just to make sure I don't go beyond that point. When you have 55g, pour
into a bowl and let it cool. Once cooled, place in the fridge overnight.
2. For the macaron shells, place the sunflower seeds into a food processor/blender and blitz until you get a fine powder.
3. If using liquorice tea, grind the tea in a pestle and mortar until it's also a fine powder. Add
this and the icing sugar into the ground seeds and blitz together. Be
careful not to overdo it. Then sieve this mixture into a bowl, making
sure there are no large lumps.
4.
In a stand mixer (or you can use a bowl and whisk) whisk the aquafaba,
cream of tartar and salt until it turns to a foamy, frothy mixture that
resembles egg whites.
5. Next, gradually add in the caster sugar and a few drops of food colouring, if using. If using the liquorice flavouring, add in at this step. Mix until you have a glossy mixture.
6. Gradually fold the sunflower seed mixture into the aquafaba, being careful not to overmix otherwise your batter will become runny. Stop when the ground mixture is fully incorporated and you have a thick but smooth mixture.
7. Put the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a round nozzle. Pipe 4cm rounds onto a lined baking tray. (I draw circles on my baking paper to ensure all my macarons are the same size.) Once you've piped out all your macarons, slam the baking tray a few times on a solid surface to ensure there are no air bubbles in your macarons. Leave to rest for about 2 hours until the shells are matte and you can lightly touch the macaron without it sticking to your finger.
8. Whilst the macarons are drying, make
the chocolate ganache. Finely chop the chocolate and
pop into a bowl. Heat the soya
cream in a small saucepan until it starts to simmer. Pour the cream into
the bowl over the chocolate and stir until smooth. Leave to cool then
place in the fridge to set.
9.
Preheat the oven to 135 degrees. Bake the macarons for 25-30 minutes
until they are dry to touch. Try not to open the oven door whilst
baking, this will affect the rising of the macarons. Leave to cool.
10. Whilst the macarons are cooling, you
can get on with the blackberry buttercream. For this, place the margarine
into a bowl with the blackberries. Gradually add in
the icing sugar whilst whisking. Whisk until smooth and thick, adding in
more icing sugar depending on how thick and sugary you like your
buttercream. Put the buttercream into a piping big fitted with a round
nozzle ready for the next step.
11.
Your macarons should be dry now so it's time to assemble. Turn over
half of your macarons. Carefully pipe the buttercream in a ring shape
around the edge of the macaron. Place a teaspoon of the ganache in the
centre then place an empty macaron shell on top. Repeat until all of
your macarons are filled!
12. Place the macarons in the fridge and leave overnight to allow them to set.
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