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Cooking on Caffeine

making family-favorite recipes vegan and allergy-friendly

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    • Desserts and Pastries
      • Vegan Macarons: Recipes and Resources
      • Icings, Frostings, Toppings, and Fillings
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    • Main Dishes
      • Vegan Quick and Easy Mexican Red Pozole/Menudo (Instant Pot)
      • Easy Creamy Vegan Tomato Basil Sauce
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      • Gochujang Spicy Brussels Sprouts (Vegan)
      • Sautéed Basil Cucumbers and Grapes
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      • Easiest Vegan Cheese Sauce Ever *BASE RECIPE* (no blender needed!)
      • Easy Vegan Cheese for Pizza (Nut-Free, No Blender)
      • Vegan Choriqueso (Queso Dip with Chorizo)
      • Vegan Cream Cheese Filling for Danishes
      • Easy Creamy Vegan Tomato Basil Sauce
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    • Vegan Macarons: Recipes and Resources
    • Macaron Troubleshooting Series
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  • Blog
    • Silk Vegan Heavy Whipping Cream Review
    • Three Common Kitchen Mistakes
    • 21 Amazing Vegan Chickpea Recipes
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  • Recipes
    • Desserts and Pastries
      • Vegan Macarons: Recipes and Resources
      • Icings, Frostings, Toppings, and Fillings
      • Cakes
      • Cookies
    • Main Dishes
      • Vegan Quick and Easy Mexican Red Pozole/Menudo (Instant Pot)
      • Easy Creamy Vegan Tomato Basil Sauce
    • Sides
      • Gochujang Spicy Brussels Sprouts (Vegan)
      • Sautéed Basil Cucumbers and Grapes
    • Sauces, Condiments, and Cheeses
      • Easiest Vegan Cheese Sauce Ever *BASE RECIPE* (no blender needed!)
      • Easy Vegan Cheese for Pizza (Nut-Free, No Blender)
      • Vegan Choriqueso (Queso Dip with Chorizo)
      • Vegan Cream Cheese Filling for Danishes
      • Easy Creamy Vegan Tomato Basil Sauce
  • Vegan Macarons
    • Vegan Macarons: Recipes and Resources
    • Macaron Troubleshooting Series
    • Icings, Frostings, Toppings, and Fillings
  • Blog
    • Silk Vegan Heavy Whipping Cream Review
    • Three Common Kitchen Mistakes
    • 21 Amazing Vegan Chickpea Recipes
    • Insert Change Now
  • My Story
  • Amazon Shop

Recipes

Chili Lime American Buttercream (vegan, soy-free)

October 15, 2019 //  by Meggan Leal//  Leave a Comment

This buttercream not only has an addictive spicy kick, but its tangy sweetness will have you looking for new and creative combinations and vehicles for getting it from bowl to mouth. It’s dairy-free, vegan, soy-free as long as you use the recommended ingredients, and I won’t tell anyone if you accidentally make a double batch.

Best coupled with fruit flavored confections, it uses fresh key lime juice in place of your usual cream or milk as well as the vanilla in American buttercream. I like to add yellow coloring to mine, since I most often pair it with mango smoothie cake for my famous Mangonada Cake and Mangonada Macarons. If you want to avoid dyes, use turmeric to turn it vivid yellow!

For the fruit chili powder, Trechas is my favorite brand (when I lived in Mexico, my host families only used Trechas brand, so that’s all I buy, now). If you’re wanting to avoid sugar or dyes, Tajin is a great choice as well.

And as far as butter goes, I use Country Crock Plant Butter sticks now, and it’s what I recommend. If you don’t have access to it or want to use something else, check out this post that covers vegan butters and how to make them work for your buttercream.

Video Tutorial

My buttercream tutorial on YouTube for the visual learners

Recipe

Yield: 2 cups (enough to frost a two-layer 6” cake)

Vegan Chili Lime Buttercream

Vegan Chili Lime Buttercream

The easiest vegan buttercream you’ve ever made - in sabor loco chili-lime! Four ingredients and ten minutes gets you perfectly pipe-able frosting for any confection that needs a spicy-sweet punch of tangy Mexican flavor!

Prep Time 1 minute
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 11 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup room temp high-fat vegan butter* (two sticks)(I prefer Country Crock Plant Butter sticks for best and soy-free results)
  • 3 cups powdered sugar (use Swerve Confectioner’s for a sugar-free version)
  • 2 tbsp + 1 tsp lime juice
  • 1-2 tsp chili lime fruit seasoning
  • Yellow gel food color

Instructions

  1. Add butter and two cups of powdered sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer equipped with the paddle attachment
  2. Mix on low/stir until completely incorporated
  3. Add the final cup of the powdered sugar and chili lime seasoning, and mix again on low/stir until completely incorporated
  4. Add your lime juice
  5. Mix on low until completely incorporated
  6. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of your bowl
  7. Mix on low just until the mixture is fully combined and smooth
  8. Adjust the consistency by adding more juice by the teaspoon to thin, or more powdered sugar by the quarter cup to stiffen until desired consistency is reached

Notes

*For more info on vegan butters to use, check out my post at www.cookingoncaffeine.com/easiest-vegan-buttercream-ever

*If you use shortening, whip the mixture for 15 minutes or until it no longer has a greasy/waxy mouthfeel

*if you want the buttercream as silky smooth as possible, turn the mixer on low/stir and let it go for about a half an hour after you’re done mixing it

*for butter without palm oil, give Miyoko’s cultured butter a try

*for butter without soy, use Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks, Earth Balance Soy-Free, or Miyoko’s cultured butter.

*feel free to sift your powdered sugar if it’s very lumpy

*for crusting buttercream, add another one to two tablespoons of liquid, and use powdered sugar to bring back to consistency

© Meggan Leal
Category: Desserts and Pastries

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Category: Buttercreams, MacaronsTag: buttercream, cake, coconut-free, Dairy-Free, Dessert, Egg-Free, macarons, Soy-Free, Vegan

Mangonada Cake with Chili Lime Buttercream (vegan, soy-free)

October 15, 2019 //  by Meggan Leal//  1 Comment

This Mangonada Cake was inspired by the classic Mexican street snack! It’s a sweet cake made from natural mango purée with sweet, tangy, and spicy chili lime buttercream, accented with chamoy and adorned with Mexican spicy candy, this cake is addictive in all the right ways! It’s also totally dairy-free, egg-free, and soy-free if you use the recommended products. It can be modified to be gluten-free and no-added-sugar, as well. And it makes darn good cupcakes for those who don’t like to do cakes!

By far, this is my most popular cake flavor sold out of my little vegan cottage bakery in Texas.

Mangonada?

So what is a mangonada? A mangonada (also known as a chamoyada or chamango depending on what part of Mexico you’re in) is frozen mango blended up with ice and served with chamoy sauce (explained below), chili powder, lime juice, and usually a tamarind-covered straw.

There’s just about nothing better on a crazy hot summer day.

The Components

The body of the cake is made with the mango version of my fruit smoothie cake. I use mango-peach Koolaid powder to really up the ante flavor-wise, but you can omit this if you’re wanting to go au natural.

The frosting is my chili-lime version of my easiest vegan buttercream ever. I use fresh squeezed key lime juice as the “liquid” addition as well as in place of the vanilla, and add a teaspoon of Mexican fruit chili seasoning with the powdered sugar. Trechas is my favorite commercial brand (and Tajin is wonderful if you want to avoid added sugar), but feel free to use whatever you prefer or even make your own! (And make sure you try it on your favorite fruit if you never have before!).

I dye frosting bright yellow and/or orange with Americolor lemon yellow and super red gels, or use turmeric for those seeking a dye-free delight.

Apart from the buttercream between each layer, I also add a healthy amount of chamoy. If you’re not Hispanic or haven’t been exposed to a lot of Mexican food, you may not know what that is.. so, what is chamoy?

Chamoy is a glorious sauce made from concentrated fruit (usually plums) with chili and salt, and no mangonada is complete without it. It’s tangy, sweet, spicy, and all round wonderful. It’s used on fruit most of the time, but it gives this cake a wonderful, exotic kick! Its deep maroon color is also beautiful against the brilliant yellow frosting. My favorite is a brand I recently discovered called Joy Chamoy – it’s made just a few miles from where I live and it’s the most flavorful variety I’ve tasted!

If you prefer to order from Amazon, you can grab this variety and it will taste great as well.

Or just skip the shops and make your own!

I brush it directly on top of each layer of leveled cake – like one would a sugar syrup – before a healthy layer of buttercream and the next cake on top.

The Construction

So this cake is, from the bottom up, mango cake – chamoy – chili lime buttercream – mango cake – chamoy – chili lime buttercream, as many layers as your heart desires. Then I cover the whole cake in the chili lime buttercream, pipe some sort of decoration in the buttercream on top (usually swirls or rosettes), and pour more chamoy all over the cake.

Watch me make it in this quick timelapse:

As the final touch, the cake gets adorned with spicy Mexican candy and another generous sprinkling of the fruit chili.

Just the Cupcakes, Ma’am.

For cupcakes instead of cake, just do the swirl of frosting, chamoy drizzle, chili sprinkle, then the candy on top. I’ve even served them with the chamoy inside a pipette instead of drizzled (for less mess during transport and sale).

You should be able to find the chamoy, fruit chili, and Mexican candies at your local Hispanic grocery or aisle, otherwise click on my links to find them on Amazon.

If you want to avoid the candy on the cake, it can definitely be served without. Try substituting dehydrated mango slices instead! Even better if you can find the chili lime variety!

The cake can be made up to five days before serving, but wait to put the chamoy and candy on until just before the cake is presented, though – as they can melt with the buttercream.

That’s it! It looks complicated, but once you have all the ingredients in order, it comes together easy peasy. And if you’ve ever had the privilege of enjoying a cool mangonada, hopefully this mangonada cake will bring back great memories!

Pin it for later:

Recipe:

Yield: 1 10” or 2 8” or 3 6” cakes or 24 cupcakes

Mangonada Fruit Smoothie Cake

Mangonada Fruit Smoothie Cake

The yummiest mango-flavored cake recipe ever. Made with mango as the first ingredient, it’s super allergy-friendly, oil-free, has a surprisingly delicious spicy kick, and can be made with no added sugar and gluten-free as well.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 2.5 cups mango purée (540g)
  • 2 cups sugar (400g)
  • 2 tablespoons ground flax seed
  • 5 tablespoons hot water
  • ———
  • 3.5 cups flour (440g)
  • 2 teaspoons baking SODA (bicarb)
  • 1 packet of Peach Mango Koolaid Powder (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 c chamoy

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C) and prepare your cake pans (I like to use nonstick spray and a parchment paper circle inside the bottom).
  2. Prepare your flax eggs by mixing the ground flax and hot water in a small bowl or cup (1 tbsp of flax + 2.5 tbsp water = one flax egg - so you’re making two eggs here. Also, using hot water speeds up the process). Set aside.
  3. Add your flour, baking soda, salt, and KoolAid powder to a medium mixing bowl. Sift or whisk if you’d like.
  4. Add your mango purée and sugar to a large mixing bowl.
  5. Add your flax egg to the fruit/sugar once it’s goopy - after about ten minutes.
  6. Pour your dry ingredients into the wet, and fold them together using a silicone spatula until the batter doesn’t have any dry bits. Don’t stir! Fold!
  7. Pour half of the batter equally into your prepared pans.
  8. Drizzle equal parts of chamoy into each pan
  9. Pour the remaining batter equally into each pan
  10. Use a toothpick or knife to swirl the chamoy around
  11. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. (Cupcakes take about 17 minutes)
  12. Proceed as usual and enjoy your cake!

Notes

*Use cup-for-cup stevia if you'd like to avoid added sugar, and substitute the chamoy with reduced prune juice with cayenne to taste.
*Use a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour replacement if you'd like to avoid gluten

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

24

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 148Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 153mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 1gSugar: 18gProtein: 2g

This nutrition information has been calculated based on the recipe as written and with strawberry purée. These values will change if you alter the recipe.

© Meggan Leal
Category: Desserts and Pastries
Yield: 2 cups (enough to frost a two-layer 6” cake)

Vegan Chili Lime Buttercream

Vegan Chili Lime Buttercream

The easiest vegan buttercream you’ve ever made - in sabor loco chili-lime! Four ingredients and ten minutes gets you perfectly pipe-able frosting for any confection that needs a spicy-sweet punch of tangy Mexican flavor!

Prep Time 1 minute
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 11 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup room temp high-fat vegan butter* (two sticks)(I prefer Country Crock Plant Butter sticks for best and soy-free results)
  • 3 cups powdered sugar (use Swerve Confectioner’s for a sugar-free version)
  • 2 tbsp + 1 tsp lime juice
  • 1-2 tsp chili lime fruit seasoning
  • Yellow gel food color

Instructions

  1. Add butter and two cups of powdered sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer equipped with the paddle attachment
  2. Mix on low/stir until completely incorporated
  3. Add the final cup of the powdered sugar and chili lime seasoning, and mix again on low/stir until completely incorporated
  4. Add your lime juice
  5. Mix on low until completely incorporated
  6. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of your bowl
  7. Mix on low just until the mixture is fully combined and smooth
  8. Adjust the consistency by adding more juice by the teaspoon to thin, or more powdered sugar by the quarter cup to stiffen until desired consistency is reached

Notes

*For more info on vegan butters to use, check out my post at www.cookingoncaffeine.com/easiest-vegan-buttercream-ever

*If you use shortening, whip the mixture for 15 minutes or until it no longer has a greasy/waxy mouthfeel

*if you want the buttercream as silky smooth as possible, turn the mixer on low/stir and let it go for about a half an hour after you’re done mixing it

*for butter without palm oil, give Miyoko’s cultured butter a try

*for butter without soy, use Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks, Earth Balance Soy-Free, or Miyoko’s cultured butter.

*feel free to sift your powdered sugar if it’s very lumpy

*for crusting buttercream, add another one to two tablespoons of liquid, and use powdered sugar to bring back to consistency

© Meggan Leal
Category: Desserts and Pastries

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21 Amazing Vegan Chickpea Recipes

October 6, 2019 //  by Meggan Leal//  Leave a Comment

The secret ingredient for many vegan cooks, chefs, and bakers is beautiful, thick aquafaba (bean water). It is used as an egg replacer in many amazing recipes such as macarons, meringues, cookies, royal icing, and so much more. This amazing vegan nectar leaves us all with a common problem: we are drowning in a surplus of chickpeas (garbanzo beans).

Knowing that I’m not alone in my overwhelming supply of chickpeas, I have compiled a list of the internet’s best vegan recipes starring them so that you may finally reclaim your fridge and freezer back from the garbanzo overlords!

Psst… don’t miss my super chickpea tip at the bottom of the list!

1

1. Easy Buffalo Chickpea Wraps

Photo Credit: www.karissasvegankitchen.com

These Easy Buffalo Chickpea Wraps are a tasty vegan lunch idea you can prep ahead of time.

2

2. Spiced Chickpea Smothered Sweet Potato

Photo Credit: www.goodlifeeats.com

Spiced Chickpea Smothered Sweet Potato is an easy and hearty meal that is perfect for winter.

3

3. Avocado Chickpea Salad with Vegan Pesto {Gluten-Free, Vegan}

Photo Credit: avocadopesto.com

Avocado Chickpea Salad with Vegan Pesto makes for the perfect lunch recipe that is ready in minutes. Super simple 5 ingredient recipe packed full of flavor and protein. Lunch or grill day appetizers don’t get easier than this! 

4

4. Air Fryer Falafel with Creamy Tahini Sauce

Photo Credit: www.ohsweetmercy.com

Are you sitting down? You should, because crispy-outside, soft-and tender-inside Falafel without deep frying is enough to make you weak in the knees.

5

5. Chana Masala (Indian Chickpea Curry) Recipe

Photo Credit: simmertoslimmer.com

This vegan one-pot curry can be made in an Instant Pot as well as a stovetop pressure cooker. Get all the deets on how to make this delicious curry at home!

6

6. Maple Walnut Sweet Potato Hummus

Photo Credit: cupcakesandkalechips.com

Perfect for an appetizer or snack that’s also a naturally gluten free and vegan recipe, and you can even pack it in the kids’ lunchboxes. Get your apples, carrots, and crackers ready, and blend up a batch of Maple Walnut Sweet Potato Hummus.

7

7. Vegetarian Chickpea Salad Recipe

Photo Credit: www.savoringthethyme.com

A flavorful and healthy salad that comes together in mere minutes, with minimal effort.

8

8. The Best Vegan Egg Salad Sandwich With Chickpeas

Photo Credit: veggiefunkitchen.com

This plant-based version of the traditional egg sandwich uses chickpeas instead of eggs, vegan mayo, breadcrumbs and black salt along with all the other classic egg salad sandwich ingredients.

9

9. Easy Vegan Red Thai Curry with Roasted Butternut Squash & Chickpeas

Photo Credit: fussfreeflavours.com

Make your own quick and easy vegan red Thai curry paste and cook this delicious version in next to no time.  Prep ahead cooking at its best. Make as fiery or as mild as you like.  

10

10. Easy Homemade Almond Hummus

Photo Credit: asprinkleandasplash.com

Easy Homemade Almond Hummus is a tasty switch up to a traditional hummus, using almonds instead of the usual tahini. Serve with toasted baguette slices, pita chips or fresh veggies for a healthy, nutritious snack.

11

11. Chickpea Potato Soup

Photo Credit: cookingmydreams.com

Here’s a recipe to comfort you on cold winter nights. If you’re not a fan of chickpeas, you definitely need to try anyway! It’s so simple yet so flavorful - the perfect winter soup.

12

12. The Ultimate Vegan Chickpea Burgers

Photo Credit: makeitdairyfree.com

You don’t have to be vegan to enjoy these classic chickpea burgers. Simple ingredients, really easy to make, and an incredibly delicious under 30 minute vegan dinner idea!

13

13. Spanish Chickpeas and Spinach

Photo Credit: www.carolinescooking.com

This Spanish Chickpeas and Spinach is a classic tapas dish that’s easy to make and wonderfully versatile. Simple, hearty vegan comfort food.

14

14. One-Pot Red Lentil, Squash and Chickpea Dhal

Photo Credit: www.supergoldenbakes.com

This hearty One-Pot Dhal Curry is packed with red lentils, chickpeas, butternut squash and spinach and ready in just 25 minutes.

15

15. Creamy Chickpea Soup with Squash and Rosemary

Photo Credit: theclevermeal.com

This Creamy Chickpea Soup is so easy to make and it makes a perfect meal prep lunch. Simply, healthy, and flavorsome, this recipe is a super simple way to get your protein and vegetables on the table in no time!

16

16. Vegan Chickpea Tacos with Peach Salsa

Photo Credit: swirlsofflavor.com

Vegan Chickpea Tacos With Peach Salsa is an easy vegan recipe that's packed with the protein of chickpeas and topped with a lime-scented fresh peach salsa! 

17

17. Pasta e Ceci

Photo Credit: www.simplyhealthyvegan.com

This Pasta e Ceci one-pot recipe is simple to prepare, yet packed full of satisfying flavour it is one of the ultimate comfort foods.

18

18. Quick and Easy Mediterranean Rice

Photo Credit: www.knowyourproduce.com

This Vegan Rice Dish can be made in less than 20 minutes if you have leftover rice or even quinoa!

19

19. Beetroot Hummus

Photo Credit: shivanilovesfood.com

An easy and healthy recipe for vibrant beetroot hummus made in a blender. This hummus is a great protein-packed vegan dip!

20

20. Sloppy Pineapple Chickpea BBQ Sandwich

Photo Credit: www.veggieinspired.com

Sweet and mildly spicy, hearty and delicious, this sloppy sandwich is husband and kid approved! It comes together quickly and easily. You’re gonna want seconds!

21

21. A Vegetarian Passover: Potato, Tomato, and Olive Stew

Photo Credit: www.allwaysdelicious.com

This vegetarian Passover entree includes hearty Mediterranean and springtime ingredients like tomatoes, olives, potatoes, and artichoke hearts. And the entire dish can be made in one single pot—a critical quality for one of the kitchen's busiest nights of the year.

More than just recipes...

So, there you have it! You are now armed with 21 amazing recipes to try against your stash of garbanzo beans - and they're not all hummus and curry!

One option remains, and it’s not even a recipe: farm animal sanctuaries and shelters. Give your local sanctuary a call or shoot them a message on Facebook and see if they'd like a delivery of your surplus beans. Most of the time, they will be thrilled with the gift - and the animals will be too!

Pin the whole list!

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Easiest Vegan Buttercream Ever (Dairy & Soy Free)

October 3, 2019 //  by Meggan Leal//  31 Comments

This vegan buttercream is so easy, it should be a crime. Really. The stand mixer does all the work, and in about ten minutes (less if you don’t care about it being super silky smooth) you’ve got delicious, crave-worthy, allergy-friendly, infinitely customizable, perfectly pipe-able frosting to use on all your cakes, macarons, cookies, cinnamon rolls, and other confections.

It’s an American buttercream, but this icing is so good that I’ve sold it by the bucketful and even offered it as 2oz “frosting shots” to a begging and drooling clientele.

It CAN be made with just a hand mixer (if that’s all you’ve got), and it can also be turned into a “crusting buttercream” if you need that for your creation – just see the notes in the recipe. 

Yes, it’s a weird photo. I acknowledge that.

Vegan Butter?

Yeah, yeah, I know. “It’s not actually butter because it’s not made from dairy,” say the purists. Well, neither is peanut butter or apple butter, so let’s just go with it here. If it really bothers you *that* much, just imagine I’m calling it margarine.

Now, for this to be the “Easiest Vegan Buttercream Ever” you need a good quality, high fat butter. Most vegan butters are actually mostly water – so when they’re room temperature, they are EXTREMELY soft. The tell tale sign of this is if it calls itself a “spread”. These will not work well in this recipe.

Two good options for this recipe would be Earth Balance sticks and Country Crock Plant Butter (my personal preference). If you have another butter that’s at least 79-80% oil/fat though, it should be fine. Miyoko’s cultured butter should work well based on accounts I’ve read of it, but I’ve never tried it myself as the exclusive fat in a buttercream.

If you’re in Australia, Lis Armstrong of Treat Dreams, which specializes in vegan chocolates, treats, and desserts, advises that Nuttelex is a good choice. “For the oil percentage in Nuttelex it depends if you’re buying retail or food service…” She adds, “Retail sizes available from most grocers like Aldi (best price), Coles, Woolies and Costco (5kg tubs).

Food service comes in a 15kg box with plastic liner. It has a higher fat content of 80% and is used by some commercial bakeries in Sydney to produce vegan croissants.

Even with the food service version, melt is a factor in the warmth, so a little shortening can help, so personal trial and error really pays off.”

So silk. Such smooth.

What if I can’t find a high-fat butter?

Great question. If you can’t find a vegan butter with a fat content of 79-80% or more, I have had success with Smart Balance (64% fat) for frosting cupcakes. Note that the buttercream will be EXTREMELY soft, and won’t hold up in between cake layers or macarons. But for cupcakes and frosting shots, it’s wonderful.

Another option is to cut your butter with veggie shortening or straight palm oil. I usually use a 50/50 ratio for easy maths’ sake. If you go this route, it won’t be the “easiest” anymore, as it’ll take an extra step and a good chunk of time, but it’ll still come out just as high quality and delicious as the full butter version (yes, I promise).

Don’t want to use shortening? There is another, final option. It’s going to take some time, and you’ll feel like you’re wasting money, but it’s a viable option for those who don’t have vegan shortening options OR high-fat vegan butter available (I’m looking at you, South Africa!) – you’re going to make your own.

You can definitely make your own butter from scratch if you feel like it, but I never do. So what is my alternative route? I cook the water out of my high-water butter and it suddenly turns high-fat.

Put your delicious-but-too-soft butter into a shallow pan and melt it. Let it cook over medium heat until it starts to boil, and let it go until it stops bubbling. You’ll be left with nearly 100% fat that’ll work great in your buttercream! Just pour it (carefully! It’s hot oil!) into a heat-proof container or butter stick molds and pop them into the fridge to solidify, and then proceed as normal.

What about flavors?

The sky is the limit! I add whatever liquid I feel like, up to the two tablespoon per stick limit. Coffee creamer, coffee concentrate, fruit juice, protein shake, citrus juice, chamoy, jellies and jams, and more!

And powders can pop in with ease, too! Freeze dried fruit powders, powdered drink mixes, matcha tea, cocoa powder, instant coffee, protein powder, etc. Just make a paste with them with a tiny bit of liquid before adding so they distribute evenly and don’t cause drying out or texture issues.

Some tangerine zest going into the base buttercream for one of my bakery clients.

And what about food coloring?

For food coloring, I recommend using either gel or powder. You can use liquid, but any liquid you use will affect the consistency of your buttercream at the expense of flavor.

Some of my favorite vegan food coloring options are AmeriColor gels, ProGels, and Artisan Accents gels. Ultimate Baker has an amazing line of powdered colors that are both vegan and all natural, if you prefer the natural route!

Just remember that your colored buttercream will get darker and more vibrant overnight. This is especially important if you’re trying to make a dark color like black, navy, red, or burgundy. Try to make your buttercream a day early, get it to a few shades lighter than what you need, and let it “develop” in a covered container overnight.

The other side of the token though, make sure if you don’t want a dark color to not make your buttercream too far ahead of time! I once had to make a navy blue cake; I let the cake sit overnight and it was black by morning. Oops. If this does happen to you though, you can add in some white buttercream to lighten it a bit (unless it’s already on the cake like mine was).

My beautiful navy blue cake before it darkened.

And how do I store it?

In a bowl with a tight fitting lid or plastic wrap.

It can be kept at room temp for a week, in the fridge for a month, and in the freezer for six months. Just give it a quick stir before you frost your confections.

Another silly photo with the gold hand.

I’m so ready, but I forgot to take my butter out of the fridge!!

Don’t panic! And don’t microwave! I’ve got you covered:

(If you don’t have a blow torch, you can use a hair dryer!)

Pin it!

Video Tutorial, Extended:

Recipe Card:

Yield: 2.5 cups (enough to ice a 6” cake)

Easiest Vegan Buttercream Ever

Easiest Vegan Buttercream Ever

The easiest vegan buttercream you’ve ever made. Four ingredients and ten minutes gets you perfectly pipe-able frosting for any confection that needs icing!

Prep Time 1 minute
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 11 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup room temp high-fat vegan butter* (two sticks) (230g)
  • 4 cups powdered sugar**** (450g)
  • 2 tbsp liquid - any liquid you want (check the post above for suggestions)***** (30ml)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract (5ml)

Instructions

  1. Add butter and half the powdered sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer equipped with the paddle attachment
  2. Mix on low/stir until completely incorporated. It’s important to do this slowly to avoid gritty buttercream!
  3. Add the second half of the powdered sugar, and mix again on low/stir until completely incorporated
  4. Add your liquid and vanilla extract
  5. Mix on low until completely incorporated
  6. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of your bowl
  7. Mix on low just until the mixture is fully combined and smooth
  8. Adjust the consistency by adding more liquid by the teaspoon to thin, or more powdered sugar by the quarter cup to stiffen until desired consistency is reached

Notes

*if you use shortening, whip the mixture for 15 minutes or until it no longer has a greasy/waxy mouthfeel. Use pure palm shortening if you're avoiding soy.

**if you want the buttercream as silky smooth as possible, turn the mixer on low/stir and let it go for about a half an hour

***for butter without palm oil, give Miyoko’s cultured butter a try

***for butter without soy, use Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks (does contain a cross contamination warning), Earth Balance Soy-Free, or Miyoko’s cultured butter.

****feel free to sift your powdered sugar if it’s very lumpy

*****for crusting buttercream, add another one to two tablespoons of liquid, and use powdered sugar to bring back to consistency

© Meggan Leal
Category: Desserts and Pastries

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Category: Buttercreams, Desserts and Pastries, MacaronsTag: Dairy-Free, Dessert, Egg-Free, macarons, Soy-Free, Vegan

Gochujang Spicy Brussels Sprouts (Vegan)

September 22, 2019 //  by Meggan Leal//  Leave a Comment

Sweet and spicy, easy to make, full of umami, crowd-pleasing Brussels sprouts are totally possible and need to be on your dinner plate tonight! They’re buttery and caramelized with Korean gochujang chili paste – which once you try, you’ll be addicted to adding it to everything you eat!

What is Gochujang?

Gochujang is a red chili paste with its origins in Korea. It’s made with rice flour and vinegar, sugar, as well as red chilis – and it’s a perfect harmony of spicy, sweet, and tangy. (Here’s the Wikipedia article if you want to learn more)

We use this one because it’s vegan, gluten-free, and it’s also soy-free in case that’s what you’re needing. Most are made with gluten and soy, so just make sure to check ingredient lists. It caramelizes perfectly when you heat it thanks to the sugars, and its flavor accompanies just about any savory ingredient well. We’ve even enjoyed it on fresh fruit (dipping apple slices) with raving reviews!

And would you believe me if I told you it’s also amazing in dessert? Add a couple of drops to the center of a jam-filled macaron and have your mind blown!

So I invite you to set the sriracha aside (yes, just trust me!) and give gochujang a try!

Yield: 4 servings

Gochujang Brussels Sprouts

Overhead shot of seared Brussels sprouts coated in red chili paste and served on top of yellow dahl curry.

Sweet and spicy, full of umami, addictive butter-fried sprouts caramelized in gochujang Korean chili paste.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Brussels sprouts
  • 1/2 c vegan margarine
  • 2 tbsp gochujang chili paste
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce (gluten-free soy sauce if avoiding gluten, coconut aminos if avoiding soy)

Instructions

  1. Wash, trim, and halve your sprouts
  2. Heat a large non-stick skillet or wok over medium-high flame
  3. Add your margarine and allow it to melt and boil
  4. Once your margarine has stopped fizzling, add your sprouts to the pan in a single layer
  5. Allow the sprouts to cook until they begin to brown on the bottom - about three to four minutes
  6. Toss the sprouts and allow them to brown again, another three to four minutes
  7. Mix in the gochujang and allow to cook for two minutes
  8. Add soy sauce and mix well
  9. Serve while hot
© Meggan Leal
Category: Sides

Category: SidesTag: Gluten-Free, Nut-free, Peanut-Free, Soy-Free, Vegan

Fruit Smoothie Cake (vegan, oil-free)

July 6, 2019 //  by Meggan Leal//  10 Comments

I was on the hunt for a fruit-flavored cake recipe that was three things:

Stupidly simple –

Vegan –

Absolutely delicious –

I found a few recipes that hit two out of three, but none that checked all three off my list. So what did I do? I did what I do and I wrote one. But in order to write a cake recipe, you need to know a little cake science and do some dissecting.

So what parts are there to a traditional cake recipe? In no particular order: the flavor, the substance, the liquid, the leavening agent, the sweetener, the fat, and the binder.

I wanted my fruit flavored cakes to taste like.. well.. fruit. And what tastes more like fruit than fruit? So that definitely needed to be my first ingredient. And it just so happens that fruit purée not only makes an epic flavor base, but also an amazing egg replacer for binding AND oil substitute. And it’s juicy. Bam. Why haven’t I been doing this all along?!

The best strawberries in the world from a local farmer being smoothie-fied for cake

So the fruit does the job of four cake recipe components: flavor, liquid, binder, and fat [replacer].

Then you need your substance – the bulk of the cake. That’s your flour.

And you need leavening to give the cake rise – that’s when the batter creates millions of tiny bubbles within itself and the cake puffs up, becoming a sponge instead of a hockey puck. Traditional cakes do this in a variety of ways: usually eggs filling with steam and the addition of a bit of baking powder. This cake does it with a chemical reaction of acid + base. Think back to elementary school volcanoes made with vinegar and baking soda. That’s what we are doing here, but with citric acid instead of vinegar.

For sweetness I normally use Zulka unrefined granulated sugar, but any granulated sugar will work. It also works wonderfully with coconut sugar, and for a no-sugar-added cake granulated stevia works amazingly! Just keep in mind that fruits contain natural sugars, and most flours are high in carbs which can cause sugar spikes – so while this cake made with stevia will be more diabetic-friendly than most other cakes out there, it still isn’t something that can be eaten in excess without glycemic consequences.

So with the realization of how many jobs fruit purée can do and an understanding of what other components need to be addressed, this cake can be made with, at the bare minimum, four ingredients. FOUR! And it’s DELICIOUS made with only four ingredients!

So if you’re dealing with food allergies and need something base-line basic, I’ve got you! This can be made with just an acidic fruit purée, sugar, baking soda, and flour – omit everything else and follow the steps the same way. Do you need it to be gluten-free? Use your favorite cup for cup gluten-free flour and add a teaspoon of baking powder (results may vary based on the brand or mix of gluten-free flour you use, so please test yours).

Strawberry smoothie cupcakes and cakes, made with only four ingredients. Who would have thought?

So you may be asking – why in the world would you add more stuff to it if it’s delicious with just those four??

Good question.

With just those four ingredients, the cake is stupidly simple, vegan, and absolutely delicious. BUT – sometimes I make showstopper cakes that need to hold up well with lots of layers, can be carved, can be crumb coated and frosted with ease, and some people really like extra flavor on top of the natural fruit, as well as a pop of color – so I made a few additions to make those things happen.

Flax helps the cake to be more sturdy and less crumbly, salt balances the sweetness, and the kool-aid powder adds extra flavor, color, and citric acid to react with our baking soda for more lift. If you use it, choose the same flavor as your fruit purée or a complimentary flavor (peach-mango with mango purée, for instance). If you’re using a fruit that isn’t very acidic (blueberries, for instance) you need the extra boost of acidity – so if you don’t want to use KoolAid powder, use a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice instead).

Strawberry smoothie cake all trimmed and torted and ready for filling, surrounded by the chaos that results from cake decorating.

So far I’ve made this recipe with strawberry, mango, peach, kiwi, dragonfruit, pineapple, raspberry, and blueberry. If you want to try another flavor, or even combine them, go for it and let me know what you did!

Making fruit-flavored pastry is a peach-a-cake! ;D
Here are the fluffy innards of a peach smoothie cake.

And finally, keep in mind that this cake, because it is made of mostly fruit, will be more dense than your traditional light and fluffy birthday cake style cake. To avoid it being any more dense than necessary make sure to gently fold the wet and dry ingredients together rather than stirring (so you don’t develop the gluten and make the cake chewy and bready). You can also add extra flour, up to a cup, to lighten it up a bit. But remember that the more flour you add, the less the fruit flavor and color will come through.

This recipe is great for cakes, cupcakes, cake pops, and even pancakes! It can be doubled, tripled, halved, or quartered and still works great. Try it with my quick and easy ganache or my easiest buttercream ever.

Take a look at my video here to watch how I whip up the batter in less than ten minutes, and please subscribe to my YouTube channel to be the first to know about new tutorials I put up:

VIDEO:


Yield: 1 10” or 2 8” or 3 6” or 24 cupcakes

Vegan Fruit Smoothie Cake

Vegan Fruit Smoothie Cake

The simplest fruit-flavored cake recipe ever. Made with fruit as the first ingredient, it’s super allergy-friendly, infinitely customizable, oil-free, and can be made with no added sugar and gluten-free as well.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 2.5 cups fruit purée (540g)
  • 2 cups sugar (400g)
  • 2 tablespoons ground flax seed
  • 5 tablespoons hot water
  • ———
  • 3.5 cups flour (440g)
  • 2 teaspoons baking SODA (bicarb)
  • 1 packet of KoolAid or other acid-based unsweetened drink powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C) and prepare your cake pans (I like to use nonstick spray and a parchment paper circle inside the bottom).
  2. Prepare your flax eggs by mixing the ground flax and hot water in a small bowl or cup (1 tbsp of flax + 2.5 tbsp water = one flax egg - so you’re making two eggs here. Also, using hot water speeds up the process). Set aside.
  3. Add your flour, baking soda, salt, and KoolAid powder to a medium mixing bowl. Sift or whisk if you’d like.
  4. Add your fruit purée and sugar to a large mixing bowl.
  5. Add your flax egg to the fruit/sugar once it’s goopy - after about ten minutes.
  6. Pour your dry ingredients into the wet, and fold them together using a silicone spatula until the batter doesn’t have any dry bits. Don’t stir! Fold!
  7. Pour the batter into your prepared pans.
  8. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. (Cupcakes take about 17 minutes)
  9. Proceed as usual and enjoy your cake!

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  • 48 Kool Aid packets of Peach Mango Makes 96 quarts just add sugar
    48 Kool Aid packets of Peach Mango Makes 96 quarts just add sugar

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

24

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 148Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 153mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 1gSugar: 18gProtein: 2g

This nutrition information has been calculated based on the recipe as written and with strawberry purée. These values will change if you alter the recipe.

© Meggan Leal
Category: Desserts and Pastries

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Quick and Easy Vegan Ganache (Water Ganache, Low Carb/Keto/Sugar-Free Option)

June 20, 2019 //  by Meggan Leal//  Leave a Comment

This ganache is the bomb dot com. It’s ultra customizable for whomever is going to be eating it: it can be sugar-free/keto. It can be made to accommodate any allergies or diet restrictions (except chocolate) as long as you choose a chocolate that is acceptable. It pipes and spreads while still warm so you don’t have to wait hours to use it. It’s just the best.

Ganache is my most requested macaron filling recipe (yes, I actually ran a poll) – and it’s easy to know why: Ganache is chocolate. Everyone loves chocolate. And more than that, it has the potential to be a bajillion times less sweet than typical American buttercream, it sets firm (which is great for frosting cakes – especially carved cakes because it helps to hold them together), and did I mention that it’s chocolate?

Use it on my chocolate whacky cake or to sandwich my vegan Italian macarons. Make s’mores with it. Sandwich vegan sugar cookies. Spread it on toast. Eat it with a spoon.

Alterations

If you need to use it for a cake drip, add 5ml of additional liquid at the start and omit the butter. Wait for the ganache to cool to about 90 degrees before applying the drip to the well-chilled cake with a squeeze bottle, piping bag, or with a spoon.

If you need to avoid soy, you can use palm oil or soy-free Earth Balance for your ‘butter’. And if you need to avoid coconut, you can use palm oil. If there are no real safe solid fats for you, then avoid it completely!

And remember that the sweetness of your ganache will depend on the sweetness of the chocolate that you use!

What’s the texture like?

While it’s still warm, the ganache has a very mousse-like texture in the mouth, but firms up pretty quickly. If you’re going to be using it between cake layers, you may want to wait until it’s completely cooled before adding layers on top. It can be piped and spread while warm (hello, game-changer!) and holds up well in hot environments – as long as it’s not in direct sunlight or left in a car.

Check out the video below to see how wonderfully it pipes and spreads – while still warm.

Storage

Once it’s made, keep it an airtight container in the fridge for a month or in the freezer for up to six months. Yup! Six months!

Recipe video:

So without further ado, here’s the recipe; let me know what you make with it!

Quick and Easy Vegan Ganache (Water Ganache)

Quick and Easy Vegan Ganache (Water Ganache)

A rich, luscious, and indulgent dairy-free and vegan chocolate ganache. Great for cake drips, pipes like a dream and sets semi-firm. Use it to top cupcakes, frost cakes, sandwich macarons, or eat with a spoon. Super allergy-friendly. Gluten-free. Keto option.

Makes enough ganache to top about four cupcakes, or create a drip and ganache top for a 6" cake.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 c (100g) your favorite chocolate*
  • 1/4 c (50ml) your favorite [unsweetened, non-carbonated] beverage**
  • 1 tsp (5g) softened vegan butter (optional)***

Instructions

  1. Measure out your chocolate and liquid, and get your butter out of the fridge (if using). Break up chocolate bars into smaller pieces.
  2. Pour a couple of inches of water into a saucepan and put over a medium-low flame.
  3. Add your chocolate and liquid into a heatproof glass or metal bowl and set it on the saucepan - making sure the bottom doesn't touch the water. If it touches the water, pour some water out until it no longer does.
  4. Using a whisk or rubber spatula, continually stir the chocolate and liquid until the chocolate is fully melted and smooth.
  5. Turn the heat off, remove the bowl from over the pan, and dry the bottom
  6. If using, stir in your butter until incorporated
  7. Line a small pan or bowl with plastic wrap if planning to pipe the ganache later, otherwise get out any reusable bowl with a tight-fitting lid.
  8. If using for a drip, wait until the ganache is around 90F before using a piping bag, squeeze bottle, or spoon to add around the edges of your cake.
  9. Pour the liquid ganache into your container (or piping bag) and allow to sit at room temperature for a half an hour to an hour (depending on the temperature of the room) before piping or spreading on cakes, toast, cookies, and more! It will firm as it cools even more.

Notes

NEW MICROWAVE METHOD!!
Just an FYI: last night I decided to try it in the microwave and it TOTALLY worked.

If you wanna do it that way, microwave your liquid until it’s piping hot, add your chocolate and butter, and stir until it’s smooth! ❤

NOTES:

*I have not encountered any chocolate that doesn't work with this method. My favorites to use are King David vegan candy melts, Enjoy Life semi-sweet chips, and Lily's sugar-free dark chocolate (for keto ganache). Some may contain trace allergens, so check the labels!

**I love using espresso or strong coffee to enhance the chocolate flavor. Other options include your favorite plant milk (soy may curdle due to the acidity of the chocolate, though), tea, or just plain water.

The butter makes the ganache creamier and more rich - but it is totally optional. It may be swapped for shortening, or pure palm oil if avoiding soy, If you prefer not to add a fat, just use a half a teaspoon (2-3ml) additional liquid instead.

You can also mix with nut or seed butters for a peanut butter cup flavor. You may also add various flavoring oils or reductions! Have fun and experiment!

Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a month, or in the freezer for six months.

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  • Lilys Chocolate - All Natural Dark Chocolate Premium Baking Chips - 9 Oz (Pack of 2)
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    Enjoy Life Semi-sweet Chocolate Mini Chips Pck of 2 (Packaging may vary)

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 233Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 41mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 1gSugar: 22gProtein: 3g

Each serving is an estimate of the amount that would be on top of a cupcake. Your piping will vary. These numbers will vary depending on what chocolate and what liquid you use, and whether you decide to add butter/additional fat or not. For keto/sugar-free, Lily's chocolate is your best bet.

© Meggan Leal
Category: Desserts and Pastries

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Category: Buttercreams, Desserts and Pastries, MacaronsTag: chocolate, coconut-free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, ganache, macarons, Nut-free, Peanut-Free, Soy-Free, wheat-free

Insert Change Now

May 10, 2019 //  by Meggan Leal//  2 Comments

I have a tale to tell. It’s a tale about the dark place I was at (and I know many of you are, too). But it’s a story with a happy ending, so you should stick around for this one.

Janelle Copeland, owner of The Cake Mamas

This woman right here. This giant of the baking world. This champion of Food Network’s Cake Wars and Cupcake Wars. Owner of world famous The Cake Mamas bakery. This amazing woman is my mentor. Her name is Janelle Copeland, and God moved heaven and earth to make sure I sat at her feet.

A little back story for you.

I have always had issues with self-esteem and self-confidence. I have always felt small. I have always felt like an outsider. I’m the weird one. I felt I repelled people. Always felt less-than and unworthy. I cheer people on and celebrate their wins, but I never believed that I deserved my own. I thought it was called humility, but I was wrong and I was suffering.

I started baking about two years ago because of my daughters’ food allergies. We had allergies to milk and eggs and wheat, as well as a host of other things and I felt like a bad mom that they couldn’t have cakes and cookies and all the goodies that other kids get to enjoy, so I set out to make them myself.

And I got good at it.

And I started getting orders to make them for other people.

And then more people.

And then the local vegans heard about my eggless and milkless treats, so they started ordering. And I felt so blessed, and so busy, but still not making any money, and I was dying of exhaustion. But that was ok, because I was staying humble and being thankful that at least my kids had safe treats and I was keeping myself busy.

A very tired Meggan with deep, dark circles under her eyes

See those dark circles? Probably because I was working up to 80 hours a week making macarons that I was selling for 65¢ each. #iwasdumb

Somehow a few months in, by the grace of God I found Janelle’s Facebook group called “Cake Cents”, which deals with the BUSINESS side of running a bakery, and I knew I needed it. I joined and right away, Janelle gave a free five day video series on what keeps home bakers broke, and since I was a home baker and I was broke, I took it.

It covered a ton of stuff, from pricing to creating a strategy for my business, to tracking numbers, and so much more. Then she released a bonus video inviting me to join her eight-week mastermind course called Passion to Profit, and I knew it was for me.

And then I learned the price.

Oof. Too much. Waaaay too much. Not because I didn’t think it was worth it, but because I didn’t think *I* was worth it. I didn’t think my business was worth it. Why would I invest so much into something or someone I didn’t believe in? So I sat that round out. But one of my friends didn’t;

I saw her grow. I saw her business grow. I saw her open a bakery storefront and everything about it was perfect. I watched videos of her ribbon cutting and speeches from her Chamber of Commerce. And I was filled with jealousy and regret.

I decided I needed in. I needed that change. Now.

But (there’s always a but, isn’t there?) then I got bad medical news. And bad medical bills. And then there was that surgery that was coming up that would be in the middle of the course. So doubt started creeping in about not just my financial abilities but my own personal abilities to succeed. And then of course the question of whether I was worth investing in in the first place.

Janelle reached out to me. Personally. This person I admired so much, whom I had watched on TV and whose pages I have followed on Facebook and Instagram for forever. She messaged me and called me and talked me through everything. She calmed my fears about my ability to go through the course at my own pace during my surgery and in terms of the finances she told me that if it was meant to be and I really needed it, God would give me a way to make it happen. I knew that already but I had forgotten it. It was a good reminder.

Then that same morning I got a message from a dear friend offering to pay for my medical tests. Then I got an email from PayPal offering me a line of credit. Then I applied. Then I was approved. Then I paid for the enrollment fee to Passion to Profit and I WAS IN!

My official Facebook announcement post that I joined Passion to Profit
The first day of the rest of my life.

And then I learned real quick that this wasn’t a bakery course. Not in the sense I was expecting, at least.

Janelle broke me. She broke us all. You see, week one of the course is about changing your mindset and figuring out why you’re keeping yourself from succeeding. It’s about taking responsibility for your own life and your position in it. It’s about owning your words and realizing that everything is a self-fulfilling prophecy – and boy did I have a lot of them.

I cried so much that week. As did all my classmates. And then from the bottom of that pit, Janelle helped us realize that we’ve had these glorious wings this whole time and why the heck were we not flying with them?! And I flew. And I’m flying. And it’s amazing, y’all.

So yes, the rest of the course was amazing. We learned all about pricing, about profit margins and ROIs and email marketing campaigns. We learned branding and systematizing and all of that and it was AMAZING – but honestly, those last seven weeks were basically a bonus. They helped me earn back every cent I spent on the course within a couple of months. But everything about that first week – just that first week – gave me life and gave me permission to live it.

Thanks to this woman and her passion to elevate the whole world of baking and empower women around the planet, I now know that I am worth it. I am deserving of all the good things. I have it in me to succeed. My success doesn’t take away from my family. Me pursuing my dreams doesn’t make me a bad mom or a bad wife. And did I mention that I deserve it?

So here I am now. I’ve actually retired from the bakery and am pursuing blogging full time – and succeeding at it. I’m rubbing elbows with celebrities, I’m learning from foremost experts in different fields, I’m getting phone calls from international companies who want to collaborate with me and talking to CEOs about how I can help them and add value to their products.

I’m full of confidence and I’m ready and willing to receive what is available to me – knowing I’m deserving of it and that I have the knowledge and skills to do it. I’m continually investing in myself.

I’m no longer small. I’m not longer fearful or timid. I’m no longer undeserving or less-than. I am worthy and amazing and I have so much to offer the world. I’m no longer hiding in the shadows, afraid of the public eye – but shining for everyone to see.

I’m still weird, though. And I don’t plan on changing that. 😉


Janelle’s mantra is “When the student is ready the teacher appears”. I’m so glad my teacher appeared, and I can’t wait to see how high I’ll fly.

So thank you, Janelle. Thank you for believing in me and teaching me how to believe in myself. <3

Meggan

If you’re interested in taking Janelle’s course yourself, she has graciously given me a coupon code for my readers – just use COOKINGONCAFFEINE150 at checkout for $150 off the price of the course. I earn a small commission when you do, and will also be one of your coaches in class! Enroll here

Category: MusingsTag: baker, bakery, baking, business, musings, Passion to Profit

Hollow vs Full Macarons

April 25, 2019 //  by Meggan Leal//  2 Comments

So many times, seeing people post their macaron-making results, they comment on how they look good and have good feet and smooth tops and are perfect circles and are perfect.. EXCEPT THEYRE HOLLOW.

They weep, they cry, they beg for advice: “How do I get full macs?! How do I make them perfect?? I just want to get rid of the cursed hollows!”

This breaks my heart.

For those worried about their macarons being hollow:

Even the finest macaron bakeries in the world have hollow macs. 99% of the 1% of macs that come out of the oven full do so because of additives like starches or gums, anyway. Not that that’s bad (my macs have tapioca starch in the sugar and I’ve used xanthan gum on stormy days), but you shouldn’t be striving for that because it’s a mystical unicorn.

Sure there are varying techniques in making the meringue or temp spikes and drops, or triple sifting and baking your almond flour, or pulsing it all in a food processor, but honestly? It doesn’t really matter. I promise. And there’s a reason.

If yours are hollow when they come out of the oven? Ain’t no thang. Fill em and pop em in the fridge to mature (this is a vital part of the macaron making process). They get better and better every day for about a week as the filling becomes one with the cookie.

Here’s a look at one of mine opened on the same day vs one of my yellows from three days ago that I just took a bite of; it has filled in considerably and is the yummiest I’ve tasted so far:

So stop crying over your “otherwise perfect” macs that have hollows. Heck, even if they came out lopsided, celebrate that at least one side has a foot! Maybe they don’t have feet, but you made circles? Celebrate that! Maybe they look like amoebas but they taste amaaaazing? CELEBRATE IT! If you’re not celebrating your small victories, maybe that’s whats keeping you from making progress. 😉

Then one day when your macs come out full, look back and celebrate the journey you’ve been on to get there (and teach me how you did it).

May you and your coffee both be strong,

Meggan

Want my recipe for vegan Italian macs? Here ya go!

Category: Desserts and Pastries, Macarons, MusingsTag: macarons, musings

Vegan Italian Macarons with Aquafaba

March 27, 2019 //  by Meggan Leal//  107 Comments

After over a year of trying to perfect the vegan macaron, going through countless recipes and recipe variations, I’ve finally gotten them figured out! And funny enough, it was by jumping off of the very first recipe I had ever tried and making some tweaks.

So first off, I want to thank Jasmine Lukuku over at The Blenderist for figuring her recipe out and sharing it with the world. If you want to check it out, it’s here and it’s wonderful if you’re starting.

Beautiful shells, but lopsided. I needed to figure out how to fix them.

It made some nice macs for me – better than any other published recipe I tried, but they weren’t absolutely perfect. And I need perfect. I want my vegan goodies to be so unbelievably great that even non-vegans and non-allergic people prefer them over the conventional version. So I set out to do that. And this recipe is the result.

If you don’t want to see the step by steps or photos, and don’t care to read my explanations for everything, go ahead and click here to skip down to the recipe card below. Otherwise – buckle up for a wild and crazy ride!

CHAPTER ONE: WHAT IS A MACARON?

The perfect macaron: Beautiful smooth shell with gorgeous ruffled feet that are less than half the height of the shell.

First off, an explanation of what a macaron is and what a macaron isn’t. A macaron is a little cookie made from meringue (traditionally, whipped egg whites and sugar) and almond flour.

There are three varieties of macaron: Italian, French, and Swiss. They are called as such based on what type of meringue is used. Italian meringue adds molten sugar to fluffed egg whites (or in our case, aquafaba fluff). French meringue adds raw sugar into the fluff. And Swiss, the least used method, melts the sugar together with egg whites over a double boiler, and then whips them up together.

No matter the meringue method used, they turn out almost the same – those who don’t make or obsess over macarons would never be able to tell the difference. That said, Italian macarons seem to be the most stable and the easiest to get right for beginners, so that’s where I’m starting in the blog.

Can you tell that these are French macarons? Didn’t think so.

Now, what are they like? I think of the texture as being a bit like a Milky Way candy bar: it has a crisp (but not hard) shell that breaks easily, melts in your mouth, but the whole cookie still has a good bit of chew to it. They are extraordinarily sweet, and the shells can be flavored but usually it’s the filling that gets the flavor and the shells are left to be “plain” sweet almond to compliment the filling.

Macarons also have iconic “feet” – a cute little ruffle along the bottom of the cookie that is formed as steam builds up inside of it during baking, causing it to rise up from the baking tray. The space between the cookie shell and the tray fills in with the raw batter which bubbles from the heat and makes the adorable little frilly feet everyone who makes macarons desperately craves and seeks out in their confections.

I wish I knew whom to credit for this image! If you know, please let me know. It’s genius!

Macarons are not macaroons. Macaroons are also made with meringue, but rather than being mixed with almond flour, macaroon meringue is mixed with shredded coconut. Then they are usually dipped in and/or drizzled with chocolate.

Macarons will self destruct in any manner they see fit. Here are a few examples of my fails.

Macaroons are easy. Macarons are not. Macarons are jerks who don’t like to play nice and you should not feel bad if your first batch does not turn out. Or your second. Or your eleventy sixteenth. That’s just the way this cookie crumbles (or melts, or explodes, or burns, or crystallizes, or implodes, or any other manner of destruction which they might dream up).

I’m hopeful that this guide will help you to succeed right off the bat. But that’s all I can guarantee: that I’m hopeful. I’m going to try to outline my exact process and ingredients, and hopefully it will help you to make beautiful macarons much sooner than a year after you first set out to do it. If not, don’t give up – change up your oven temp, try different brands of ingredients, search the internet for answers. Join my vegan macaron group on Facebook. Feel free to even send me a message to help troubleshoot if they’re really getting to you. We will get you making gorgeous vegan macarons!

My favourites are the ones filled with coffee flavored buttercream!

CHAPTER TWO: OVERVIEW OF INGREDIENTS

Macarons are, at their most basic level, three ingredients: almonds, sugar, and egg whites (aquafaba, in our case). Anything else extra is added to make the process easier and give more consistent results.

My recipe, adapted from that of The Blenderist, consists of almond flour, powdered sugar with tapioca starch added, sugar, garbanzo bean (chickpea) aquafaba, cream of tartar, and/or vinegar. Gel or powder food coloring may also be used.

These are the exact brands I use in case you want to replicate what I do to the T:

• Almond flour: Bob’s Red Mill superfine, blanched [UPDATE: I now use Blue Diamond almond flour, as that’s what Sam’s Club carries. It has worked marvelously!]

• Powdered sugar: H-E-B Organics

• Sugar: Zulka

• Garbanzo beans: Walmart’s Great Value organic

• Cream of Tartar: McCormick

• Vinegar: whatever store brand I have

• Food color: Some of my favorite vegan food coloring options are AmeriColor gels, ProGels, and Artisan Accents gels. Ultimate Baker has an amazing line of powdered colors that are both vegan and all natural, if you prefer the natural route! Make sure you use gels or powders though, not liquid.

As far as the almond flour goes, I have also heard great things about Costco’s Kirkland brand flour. I would not recommend Nature’s Eats brand as it has large pieces and doesn’t pass through the sieve well. I also don’t recommend Blue Diamond brand because it is quite oily and will result in splotchy, fragile macarons.  [UPDATE: I now use Blue Diamond and have been having fantastic results!]

For powdered sugar, if you’re not fortunate enough to live in Texas and have an H-E-B nearby, Wholesome 365 has an identical organic powdered sugar with tapioca starch added. If you don’t need a vegan sugar, any powdered sugar should work – whether it has corn starch, tapioca starch, or no starch at all.

The same goes for the granulated sugar; I use Zulka because it is made without bone char. If you’re not concerned about bone char use in your sugar, any granulated sugar should work fine.

For your aquafaba (aquafaba is the cooking liquid from beans – NOT the soaking liquid. It can either be the broth from homemade beans, or be poured from a can of beans) any canned or homemade aquafaba should work. As long as you’ve whipped it up successfully before, consider it a worthy candidate for macarons. I’ve also never noticed a difference in results from salted vs unsalted. I use the Great Value organic garbanzos because they have pop-tops and are easier for me to open.

As far as your cream of tartar and vinegar go, they are acids and help to stabilize the meringue. I don’t think the brand matters at all here, I just grab whatever is easiest to reach and is the cheapest. If you can’t find cream of tartar, then just use vinegar in its place. We will also use the vinegar to wipe out our mixing bowl which will help with the fluffing process.

CHAPTER THREE: OVERVIEW OF SUPPLIES

Check out my Amazon Shop to browse all the ingredients and supplies I actually use and recommend.

First of all, you need an oven. You don’t need a fancy one, but you do need one that can hold a consistent temperature. Make sure you’ve tested the internal temperature with a reliable oven thermometer (here’s one that’s NSF certified in case you need that). Macarons will fail if the temperature is even two degrees one way or another; it needs to be exact and it needs to be consistent. My oven offers both conventional and convection baking. For my macarons, I use the conventional setting – NOT the convection/fan setting. I’m working on figuring out what temp convection needs to be on in order for the macs to turn out, but I haven’t gotten it yet. I will update once I do. The heat from my oven also comes from the bottom coils.

Second, a working stovetop.

Third of all, you need a mixer with a whisk attachment. I recommend having a stand mixer because it’s going to be going for a loooooong while. I have two KitchenAid stand mixers: a smaller tilt-head mixer and a larger Professional Series mixer with a lever to raise and lower the bowl. Unless you’re going to be making a double batch, I highly recommend using the smaller mixer. While it’s possible to use the larger one, the whisk has a harder time reaching the aquafaba to whip it up. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can totally use a handheld mixer! Just expect to be standing there holding it for a while.

You absolutely need a kitchen scale that weighs grams.

A large metal or glass mixing bowl.

A fine mesh sieve. I use metal, and have never had luck with the plastic ones.

A silicone spatula.

A small, very clean saucepan.

A food thermometer that goes up to at least 400°F. I have a thermometer with a probe that connects to a timer. I can set a target temperature and it will alert me when it reaches it. I got it for about $15 at my local grocery store, and I highly recommend it because you can walk away from the stove and focus on other things without worrying about burning your sugar. A conventional candy thermometer will work just fine, however.

Next, you need piping bags. I love my tipless bags I grab from Amazon, but any piping bags will do. These are the bags I use:

Mseeur 200 Pcs Disposable Cream Pastry Bag 

As far as tips go, yes I use them. With my tipless bags. I know it sounds like an oxymoron, but as I said earlier – I want perfect macs, and to get those perfect circles I need to use tips. I use Wilton 10 and 12. These are smaller than most people use but I’ve found the smaller the tip, the fewer bubbles I get in my macarons. If you don’t want to use tips, feel free to snip the bags so you have an opening about 3/8 to 1/2″ wide. If you want to use tips, grab a few here:

Wilton 12 Round Decorating Tip

A tall glass with a wide mouth. This will help you fill your piping bags with batter.

Light colored aluminum cookie sheets or baking pans. I have commercial half sheet pans that I bought at Sam’s Club. You can use any light colored aluminum pans you have, though. I’ve even used upside down cake pans! These are the types of pans I use:

Nordicware Natural Aluminum Commercial Baker’s Half Sheet (2 Pack), Silver

Silicone mats or parchment paper to line your baking pans with. I recommend silicone mats. Parchment paper will cause your macarons to cook into oblong shapes with wrinkled bottoms. They will be just as delicious, but not perfect. You may also have to adjust your cooking time with parchment since the macarons will cook quicker and burn easier. Mats are relatively cheap on Amazon. The ones I use are these:

Macaron Silicone Baking Mat – Set of 2 

A cooling rack.

And finally, probably the most important supply: Patience. A lot of it. Sorry I don’t have an Amazon link for that. 😉

CHAPTER FOUR: PREP

1) Reducing your aquafaba:

The first thing you need to do is prep your aquafaba. If you’re using canned beans, give them a quick shake to distribute all the proteins first. Drain the beans and add the liquid to a saucepan. If you’re using homemade, you need at least 225ml. I don’t like to be exact here though, and usually make a big batch so I don’t have to prep aquafaba every time I make macarons. All we are going to do here is reduce our aquafaba by about a third. I eyeball it. It’s totally fine if you do, too. I do it on a low simmer so that it doesn’t boil up and over. That cleanup is not fun.

Also, if your reduced aquafaba isn’t gelatinous, that’s totally fine! It won’t be unless you refrigerate it (which I don’t do before I use it. It just use it!). I refrigerate the leftover aquafaba if I’m going to be making more macs in the next couple of days, otherwise I freeze it.

My reduced aquafaba. I judge by the line around the pan as to when it’s been reduced by about a third.

2) Cleaning your mixing bowl and whisk:

Even the smallest speck of grease or fat of any kind will kill your meringue before it even starts. To prevent this, make sure you wash them really well in hot water with a good lathering dish soap. Dry them with a clean paper towel, and then pour about a teaspoon of vinegar into the bowl. Using your paper towel, wipe the vinegar all over the inside of the bowl and then use the same paper towel to wipe down the tines of your whisk. It’s also a good idea to wipe down your silicone mats with your vinegar, too.

Skipping this step may mean your aquafaba never fluffs up.

3) Having all your supplies at hand:

Once you get started with the recipe, you need everything at arm’s length and ready to go. This isn’t something you can walk away from for long. Make sure all the dishes you’ll need are washed and dry and that you have all the ingredients you’ll be using.

CHAPTER FIVE: MAKE THE MACARONS!

Ingredients:

150g reduced aquafaba
200g granulated sugar
1/4c water
200g powdered sugar
200g almond flour
1/4 tsp cream of tartar OR 1 tsp vinegar

Method:

1) Preheat your oven to 310°F if you’re using silicon mats, 300°F if you’re using parchment paper.

2) Add 75g of reduced aquafaba to your mixer’s bowl along with your cream of tartar or vinegar. Turn the mixer up to medium high speed. You want to get it to soft peaks. That means that when you lift the whisk out of the fluff, it forms little mountains that fall over and wiggle a lot. They remind me of the waves in Japanese art.

75g of reduced aquafaba goes into the mixer bowl. I used 1tsp of vinegar for this batch because I ran out of cream of tartar.

3) While your fluff is fluffing, pour your granulated sugar into your clean saucepan along with 1/4 cup of water and put it over medium low heat. Do not stir. Add your thermometer – making sure the actual thermometer doesn’t touch the bottom of the pan but sits in the middle of your sugar mixture. We want to bring this to 245°F. I set my target temp for 225°F so that I can check my aquafaba fluff to see if it’s at soft peaks yet. If it’s not, I turn the heat down to low under the sugar and kick the mixer speed up by one.

200g of granulated sugar. Make sure the pan is extremely clean or it may burn.

4) While waiting on all of this to happen, measure out your dry ingredients. Use your spatula to push 200g of powdered sugar and 200g of almond flour through your sieve into a large mixing bowl.

200g of powdered sugar. (ok, 201. whatever.)

200g of almond flour.

Mixed together.

4) Once your sugar reaches 245°F, take it to your fluff and slowly pour it in while the mixer is on medium. Don’t worry about the sugar that sticks to the sides of the bowl. Turn the mixer back up to medium high and let it go until the outside of the bowl feels cool to the touch. At this point, the meringue should be glossy and white and it will be ribbony and sticky when you lift the whisk out of it.

5) Pour in the remaining 75g of aquafaba into the dry mix and combine it well. Congratulations, you’ve just made marzipan!

75g of reduced aquafaba added to the dry mix.

We now have almond paste! AKA marzipan!

6) Remove the mixer bowl, and using your spatula move 1/2 of the meringue into your marzipan, being careful not to grab any of the candied sugar on the sides of the bowl. Stir it until it’s mixed well and you don’t see any white meringue or chunks of marzipan.

Mixing the marzipan and the first half of the meringue. I added a few drops of AmeriColor “violet” into this.

7) Now is the part where you need to be careful. The macaronage. Macaronage is the careful folding of the meringue into your almond mixture so that we can knock out just enough air to form a perfect macaron batter.

Add the rest of your meringue into your almond mixture – again, being careful not to grab any of the candy bits on the side of the bowl. Tilt your bowl 3/4 on its side so that the batter slides down from the bottom of the bowl and rests along the side. This way, gravity is going to help us with the folding.

Use your spatula to scrape along from the top of the bowl, around the side, around the bottom, and back up the other side to the top of the the bowl. You should be cleanly picking up the whole mixture and folding it over onto itself. Do this gently until everything is incorporated. The batter should be relatively thick at this point. If you want to add gel color, you can do it now. You can add up to a teaspoon and it shouldn’t affect the macarons.

Now, alternate between smushing the batter along the sides of the bowl and scraping and folding – slowly and gently, until you can lift the batter with the spatula and draw a figure 8 with the batter that falls off. Once you can do this, STOP. Your batter is done. Err on the side of undermixed if you’re not sure.

I can make a figure 8 with my batter falling off the spatula, so this is where I stop mixing. It’s ready to bag!

8) Line a tall glass with your prepared piping bag/tip (just like a bag in a trash can). If using a tip, I like to twist the bag just above the tip and smush the twist down into the tip. This prevents batter from leaking out. Pour your batter into the bag and either twist or tie it closed. There should be enough batter to fill the bag two or three times. Cover what’s left in the bowl so that it doesn’t dry out.

9) Grab your prepped baking pan lined with a silicone mat or parchment (but remember that with parchment the cookies won’t come out as perfect circles).

Holding the piping bag perfectly perpendicular (up and down) to the baking pan, gently squeeze until you’ve made a circle about an inch in diameter. Stop squeezing, and quickly make a small circle with the piping tip as you lift it. This will prevent your macarons from having nipples.

Pipe your next macaron about 2.5″ from your first one. Continue until you’ve filled your tray.

Freshly piped macarons. And my babies in the background.

10) Now comes the fun part! You’re going to slam the tray down on a flat surface to bring all the bubbles up and out of your macs. I like to do it two or three times on one side of the tray, rotate, another two or three times, rotate, so on and so forth until I feel like the bubbles are all gone. I probably hit the tray around 20-30 times. If you have stubborn bubbles, you can pop them with a toothpick, clean sewing needle, or cookie scribe.

11) Once you’re done slamming the tray and popping bubbles, set your tray on a flat surface and wait for the macarons to form a dry skin. This is imperative because without the skin, the macarons will probably explode in the oven. This skin keeps all the steam inside the cookie and allows them to lift and form feet. I like to set mine on the (now cool) stovetop with the exhaust fan running above them.

12) Once you see that the cookies are no longer shiny and you can lightly run your finger along the surface without it sticking to you, set a timer for 20 minutes. Once that goes off, put your cookies into the oven on the lowest rack (if using parchment, you may need to use the middle rack). Set another 20 minute timer (22 if you’re using parchment).

Now sit impatiently outside of your oven, staring into its belly hoping and praying that your macs form feet (around 6-7 minutes is when this should happen) and that they don’t explode. If your oven has hot spots, you may want to rotate your tray at about 12 minutes.

Watching them in the oven without blinking.

At 20 minutes, the feet should appear dry (no longer shiny) and if you give one a gentle poke with your finger, it shouldn’t jiggle.

13) Pull the tray out and set it on a cooling rack. Do not attempt to remove your macarons yet! Wait until they are totally cool, and they should peel right off. If they don’t, pop the tray in the freezer for 3-5 minutes and then they will.

14) Find matching pairs and fill with whatever your heart desires – buttercream and ganache are the most common fillings. I’m also a fan of cookie butter. If you plan on using something a bit more wet like jam or curd, form a barrier on the cookie with some buttercream or chocolate first so that it doesn’t make the macaron soggy. Put into an airtight container and IF YOU CAN, place them into the fridge for at least 24 hours before enjoying. This process is called maturation and it helps to fill hollow spaces in the shell and lets all the flavors mingle and marry and become infinitely yummier.

Finished macarons ready to pop into the fridge for maturation.

If you can’t wait that long, they’re perfectly yummy straight away though.

This recipe makes between 70 and 85 shells depending on how large you pipe them. They can be put into an airtight container and refrigerated up to a week and frozen for up to six months.

Three Hour Video Tutorial:

Join me as I make a batch of macarons, from beginning to end.

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Vegan Italian Macarons with Aquafaba

Allergy and vegan-friendly macaron cookies.

Course Dessert
Cuisine Italian

Ingredients

  • 150 g reduced aquafaba see recipe notes above
  • 1/4 c water
  • 200 g granulated sugar
  • 200 g powdered sugar
  • 200 g almond flour
  • 1 tsp vinegar OR
  • 1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 310°F.

  2. Add 75g of reduced aquafaba to your mixer’s bowl along with your cream of tartar or vinegar. Turn the mixer up to medium high speed. You want to get it to soft peaks. That means that when you lift the whisk out of the fluff, it forms little mountains that fall over and wiggle a lot. They remind me of the waves in Japanese art.

  3. While your fluff is fluffing, pour your granulated sugar into your clean saucepan along with 1/4 cup of water and put it over medium low heat. Do not stir. Add your thermometer – making sure the actual thermometer doesn’t touch the bottom of the pan but sits in the middle of your sugar mixture. We want to bring this to 245°F. I set my target temp for 225°F so that I can check my aquafaba fluff to see if it’s at soft peaks yet. If it’s not, I turn the heat down to low under the sugar and kick the mixer speed up by one.

  4. While waiting on all of this to happen, measure out your dry ingredients. Use your spatula to push 200g of powdered sugar and 200g of almond flour through your sieve into a large mixing bowl. Give it a good stir with your spatula until they look well combined.

  5. Once your sugar reaches 245°F, take it to your fluff and slowly pour it in while the mixer is on medium. Don’t worry about the sugar that sticks to the sides of the bowl. Turn the mixer back up to medium high and let it go until the outside of the bowl feels cool to the touch. At this point, the meringue should be glossy and white and it will be ribbony and sticky when you lift the whisk out of it.

  6. Pour in the remaining 75g of aquafaba into the dry mix and combine it well.

  7. Remove the mixer bowl, and using your spatula move 1/2 of the meringue into your marzipan, being careful not to grab any of the candied sugar one the sides of the bowl. Stir it until it’s mixed well and you don’t see any white meringue or chunks of marzipan.

  8. Add the rest of your meringue into your almond mixture – again, being careful not to grab any of the candy bits on the side of the bowl. Tilt your bowl 3/4 on its side so that the batter slides down from the bottom of the bowl and rests along the side. This way, gravity is going to help us with the folding.

    Use your spatula to scrape along from the top of the bowl, around the side, around the bottom, and back up the other side to the top of the the bowl. You should be cleanly picking up the whole mixture and folding it over onto itself. Do this gently until everything is incorporated. The batter should be relatively thick at this point. If you want to add gel color, you can do it now. You can add up to a teaspoon and it shouldn’t affect the macarons.

    Now, alternate between smushing the batter along the sides of the bowl and scraping and folding – slowly and gently, until you can lift the batter with the spatula and draw a figure 8 with the batter that falls off. Once you can do this, STOP. Your batter is done.

  9. Line a tall glass with your prepared piping bag/tip (just like a bag in a trash can). If using a tip, I like to twist the bag just above the tip and smush the twist down into the tip. This prevents batter from leaking out. Pour your batter into the bag and either twist or tie it closed. There should be enough batter to fill the bag two or three times. Cover what’s left in the bowl so that it doesn’t dry out.

  10. Grab your prepped baking pan lined with a silicone mat (or parchment if you haven’t gotten a mat yet, but remember you may have to adjust your baking time and your cookies won’t come out as perfect circles).

    Holding the piping bag perfectly perpendicular (up and down) to the baking pan, gently squeeze until you’ve made a circle about an inch in diameter. Stop squeezing, and quickly make a small circle with the piping tip as you lift it. This will prevent your macarons from having nipples.

    Pipe your next macaron about 2.5″ from your first one. Continue until you’ve filled your tray.

  11. Slam the tray down on a flat surface to bring all the bubbles up and out of your macs. I like to do it two or three times on one side of the tray, rotate, another two or three times, rotate, so on and so forth until I feel like the bubbles are all gone. I probably hit the tray around 20-30 times. If you have stubborn bubbles, you can pop them with a toothpick, clean sewing needle, or cookie scribe.

  12. Set your tray on a flat surface and wait for the macarons to form a dry skin. This is imperative because without the skin, the macarons will probably explode in the oven. This skin keeps all the steam inside the cookie and allows them to lift and form feet. I like to set mine on the (now cool) stovetop with the exhaust fan running above them.

  13. Once you see that the cookies are no longer shiny and you can lightly run your finger along the surface without it sticking to you, set a timer for 20 minutes. Once that goes off, put your cookies into the oven on the lowest rack (if using parchment, you may need to use the middle rack). 

  14. Bake the macarons for 20 minutes. If your oven has hot spots, rotate the tray at around 12 minutes.

  15. After 20 minutes, pull the tray out and set it on a cooling rack. Do not attempt to remove your macarons yet! Wait until they are totally cool, and they should peel right off. If they don’t, pop the tray in the freezer for 3-5 minutes and then they will.

  16. Find matching pairs and fill with whatever your heart desires.

  17. Put into an airtight container and IF YOU CAN, place them into the fridge for at least 24 hours before enjoying.

  18. This recipe makes between 70 and 85 shells depending on how large you pipe them. They can be put into an airtight container and refrigerated up to a week and frozen for up to six months.

Recipe Video

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Category: Desserts and Pastries, MacaronsTag: aquafaba, cookies, Dairy-Free, Dessert, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free, macarons, Peanut-Free, Soy-Free, Vegan

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