Vegan French Macarons: Raspberry & Elderflower

Directions

• Bring the chickpea liquid to a boil in a small saucepan. When it heats, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer/reduce for 10 minutes – set a timer! This boiling liquid may have an odd odour so that you know. It should be reduced to around 1/3 cup.
• Meanwhile, in a food processor, mix the almond flour and powdered sugar. Pulse a few times to mix, then run the processor for a minute or two.
  Sift the powdery mixture into the sifter. For several macaron recipes I’ve tried, I needed to sift three times. This recipe only needed one sift. Some big chunks that don’t get into the sifter can be discarded.
• Take cane sugar, measure it out and keep it aside.
• Pour your chickpea liquid into your stand mixer tank and clip your whisk once it has decreased. Set a timer for 2 minutes and whisk on a medium-high setting (about a 5-6 setting) in the mixer. The mixture should foam up and get frothy.
• Toss in the cane sugar.  Set a timer for 5 minutes to beat the mixture on high. This is where the real magic takes place. It’s awe-inspiring to watch! The final product should resemble a meringue with stiff, shiny peaks. After that, apply your teaspoon of vanilla and beat for another minute on high.
• Fold in the sifted mixture in thirds once the meringue is ready. (Pour in one-third of the liquid and fold.) (Do it again.) I discovered that my batter was a little dry at this stage. In the batter, I placed another teaspoon or two of vanilla extract. You want a dense, firm batter that is still a little shiny. Someone compared it to lava pouring down a cliff, but I’m not sure how accurate that comparison is. This is the point where you simply have to get a feel for it. This is why making macarons is difficult!
• Using a spatula, transfer the batter to your piping bag. Snip a hole in the bag about a half-inch from the top. The batter can trickle out steadily, most definitely in tiny blobs, if you keep the bag upright at a 90-degree angle. You have a problem if it’s runny. If it’s stiff and won’t move without assistance, you’ve got a separate issue! This requires dexterity.
• On your Silpat mats, pipe cookies the size of a quarter or half a dollar. I would suggest that you double the baking sheets. This has been stated in many macaron-making blogs. It prevents the bottoms from being charred. Pipe the batter before you run out of batter – or space to pipe it.
• Smack the cookie sheets on the counter a couple of times until you’re finished piping. You want to smooth out the macarons to get rid of the air bubbles inside. Whack them in the face – don’t be scared to injure them. My macarons started with small peaks, but after a few smacks, the tops smoothed out. That’s how you can tell whether the batter is decent or not.
• Allow 45 minutes to 1 hour for the macarons to dry on the counter. They should be fully dry to the touch – don’t poke them!.
  
  RECOMMENDATION When the macarons are drying, keep your house cool. Your feet would not grow as much if it is not. Even if you want to decorate the cookies with sprinkles, do so before they dry. I used The Pink Peppercorn’s natural sprinkles.
• Preheat the oven to 205° F as the drying period passes.
• Bake the macarons for 30 minutes.  Turn the oven off after 30 minutes and leave the cookies in the closed oven for another 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, open the oven door and let the cookies cool for another 15 minutes before removing them from the oven.
  
• For the icing:
• In a medium-sized mixing cup, add the first four ingredients with a spatula. If you need a bit extra liquid to get the icing to come together, add a tablespoon of almond milk at a time. It will have the appearance (and taste) of fudgy, chocolaty goodness.
• Gently pipe icing onto one side of a macaron using a second piping bag. Take another macaron and sandwich it between the two. (I prefer to name it the Oreo process in reverse.) Do you remember how you used to “unscrew�? the Oreo cookies when you were a kid? Ok, twist the macarons around to make them match!) If you have some leftovers, put them in the fridge to use later!
• These Raspberry & Elderflower Vegan French Macarons taste like summer! As I’m eating one, it reminds me of sipping wine and picnicking on a bright, sunny day.
• Enjoy making Vegan French Macarons, and let me know how it goes!
  
  Cheers,
  
  -Aileen