Egg Free Macarons

 Egg Free Macarons ....... They are are definitely a love at first site.

My household is typical Hindu household where we don't get eggs at home (though we can eat outside but not cook at home). I always believed that this rule has never been a trouble at my home that face while making my cooking choices. So I must have thrown couple of batches of Macarons while learning how to make the Macarons by using the Aquafaba (egg substitute it is. It is a concentration of chick pea water). I failed miserably when I used the canned cheak pea water so I made one at home and trust me I was never so happy with myself experimenting in kitchen.

Macarons are French and expensive. They are more expensive than the average sweet treat because of the costly ingredients and the time and expertise involved in making it. Almond flour and egg whites (which here is substituted by Aquafaba) are the two main ingredients that make up a Macaron. In relation to other flours, almond flour is several times more expensive.

Here is how I made them,

Ingredients :-

Aquafaba – 50 gm

Caster sugar – 30 gm

Icing sugar – 70 gm

Almond meal – 70 gm

Cream of Tartar – ¼ tsp

Gel Color – of your own choice. I have used egg yellow color

 

Method :-

1.      In a medium sized bowl, Put Aquafaba & Cream of Tartar together and start whipping them at highest speed.

2.      After few seconds, add a portion of caster sugar and continue whipping. Do not stop whipping while adding the portions of sugar. Continue adding the caster sugar till it gets over. Continue whipping and it shall give you stiff peaks. You really need stiff peaks here to ensure a honey comb texture of the Macaron shells.  The real stiff whipped Aquafaba will be look almost like a shaving cream foam.

3.      Once done, sift the icing sugar and almond meal together. Divide this in 3 portions

4.      Add one by one portion of the sifted Almond meal & Icing sugar and keep folding with light strokes by using spatula. Ensure that the folding is done really soft way to avoid the deflating of the mixture.

5.      When you add the last batch, add the drop or two of gel color and fold to get the color consistently mixed.

6.      Fill in the a piping bag and pipe out small roundel on the baking tray lined with butter paper.

7.      Tap the tray with a good force on the floor while rotating the tray slowly. 2-3 taps are to be done

8.      With a tooth pick, prick the air bubbles on the surface of Macarons.

9.      Put these below a fan to dry out totally. The readiness of Macarons will be confirmed by sliding the top of your finger on them, it should dry and easy. The batter should not stick to the finger. You may just leave it like that for at least an hour to ensure best results.

10.   Preheat oven at 130 degrees Celsius and bake for 5 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 110 degrees Celsius and bake for 20-25 minutes

11.   Remove from the over and the shells would immediately separate out from the lined paper.

12.   When you tap the surface of the Macaron shells, they will sound a little hollow and the sound itself will be a crunch.

13.   The outer layer is nice and shiny. Internally they are nice and honey comb kinds and chewy while you chew.

14.   Now you can pipe a little chocolate ganache on one shell and cover with another shell.

15.   Macarons ready…