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5 from 1 vote

Vegan Peppermint French Macarons From Aquafaba

This Vegan Peppermint French Macarons from Aquafaba Recipe will let you make the most beautiful, delicate, pillowy light, chewy, delicious and melt in the mouth cookies that you will never forget
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Process (processing + sifting + meringue + macronage + piping)45 minutes
Total Time2 hours
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Keyword: Aquafaba, Aquafaba in instant pot, French Macaron recipe, French Macarons, How to make macarons, instant pot vegan recipes, Macaron basic recipe, Macaron recipe, Macarons Vs Macaroons, peppermint macarons, Recipe for macarons, Vegan Peppermint French Macarons with Aquafaba, Vegetarian macarons, what is the difference between macaron and macaroon
Servings: 10 Macarons
Calories: 43kcal
Author: Jyoti Sawant

Ingredients

Macaron Shell

  • 1 oz/ 28gms aquafaba, room temperature
  • 2 oz/ 56gms ground almond flour
  • 2 oz/ 28gms powdered sugar/ icing sugar/ confectioner's sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1.5 oz/ 42gms white sugar
  • 7-8 drops red gel food coloring

CHOCOLATE GANACHE FILLING INGREDIENTS

  • 24 oz (680 g) White Chocolate
  • 8 oz (227 g) Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 1 stick candy cane crushed fine

AQUAFABA INGREDIENTS (INSTANT POT PRESSURE COOKER)

  • 2 Cups dry Chickpeas (Garbanzo beans/ Chole) washed
  • 8 Cups water for soaking
  • 6 Cups water for cooking

Instructions

  • HOW TO MAKE AQUAFABA IN THE INSTANT POT
    Step1: Soak the Chickpeas: Wash and soak chickpeas in 8 cups of water overnight or at least for 6+ hours.
    Step2: Drain the Chickpeas soaking water: Drain the chickpeas soaking water and rinse it once or twice with fresh water.
    Step3: Cook Chickpeas in the Instant Pot: Add 6 cups of water and chickpeas to Instant Pot's steel innner pot. Put the steel pot in the Instant pot. Close the lid and press Pressure Cook/ Manual button on high for 60 minutes (You want the chick peas to be cooked to the point you are easily able to mash it between your fingers).
    Step4: Natural Pressure Release: When the instant pot beeps, let the pressure release naturally. If the pin does not drop in 20 minutes, you can release the pressure and open the instant pot. Once the pressure releases, press cancel and let it cool down completely.
    Step5: Refrigerate: Once the chickpeas cool down completely close the steel insert with a lid and store in the fridge – once chilled aquafaba will turn gelatinous and resemble an egg white, refrigerating it along with chickpeas helps it thicken up and become even more gelatinous which is what we want.
    Step6: Strain the liquid: Using a clean sieve, separate the liquid from the chick peas. This liquid is nothing but Aquafaba. Make sure the sieve and the bowl are very clean and have no grease residue on it as even a trace amounts of grease inhibit aquafaba’s foaming properties – this is especially important if you intend to whip your aquafaba into a meringue.
    Step7: Store: Your Aquafaba is now ready to be used in the recipe. If you wish you can reduce the liquid further depending on the recipe. I used the liquid directly at this stage for Vegan Macrons. Store the rest of the aquafaba in an air-tight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator or freeze it for 3 months.
    HOW TO GET AQUAFABA FROM A CHICKPEA CAN:
    Step1: Open the can: Open the chicke pea can. Try using organic chickpeas that has least amout of sodium, no sodium will be ideal.
    Step2: Strain the liquid: Using a clean sieve, separate the liquid from the chick peas. This liquid is nothing but Aquafaba. Make sure the sieve and the bowl are very clean and have no grease residue on it as even a trace amounts of grease inhibit aquafaba’s foaming properties – this is especially important if you intend to whip your aquafaba into a meringue.
    Step3: Strained liquid: The strained liquid is nothing but Aquafaba and you can start using it as is in making macaron or other dishes. Aquafaba is a great replacement for egg whites.
    HOW TO MAKE VEGAN PEPPERMINT FRENCH MACARONS WITH AQUAFABA:
    Step1: Process almond flour and icing sugar:
    Add the almond flour and icing sugar or powdered sugar to a food processor and process well for 2 minutes, until the almonds and sugar are well combined and if there are any large particles in the almond flour they get broken down to fine powder.
    Step2: Sieve the mixture:
    Transfer the almond flour and icing sugar mixture into a sieve and sieve the mixture into a large mixing bowl. Make sure there are no large pieces of almond flour or it will deface the surface of your macarons. Discard the larger particles if any, don’t try to press them through the sieve. Keep your dry ingredient mixture aside.
    Step3: Making the Merengue:
    • Make sure your Aquafaba is at room temperature
    • Now using your hand or stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk the aquafaba at medium speed for 30 seconds. Add the cream of tartar and continue whipping until the aquafaba becomes foamy.
    • Once they are foamy and translucent slowly sprinkle, little at a time 1.5oz. of white sugar. Keep whipping until your aquafaba achieves a soft peak stage.
    • Now with your mixer on high speed continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Make sure that meringue has very STIFF PEAKS!! You’ll notice the meringue starts to fill the whisk when you’re getting close to the right stage. You will have stiff and pointy peaks once your Meringue is ready. Remember Aquafaba takes much much longer than eggs to come to come to the stiff pointy stage so don't loose patience and keep working at it and you will surely achieve that.
    • Beat until stiff peaks form. Make sure that meringue has very STIFF PEAKS!!
    Step4: Making the Macronage:
    • THIS is the most important step in the making of proper macarons. Transfer all the meringue to the dry ingredients (almond flour and icing sugar mix) and fold together. Take your rubber spatula and lightly roll it around the batter in the bowl and fold the mixture over itself. Initially, it may look like it just isn’t mixing and that you have too much of the almond mix but eventually it will come together. When it starts coming together, start to drag (pressing the batter against the sides) the mixture around the bowl.
    • It should end up like thick lava. This is called the macaronage.
    • The secret test to know the right consistency for the perfect macaron batter is when you pick up the batter with the spatula and try to create an “8” pattern with a solid, streaming ribbon of batter. If you can make an “8” a few times over on top of itself and see the entire shape not disappear, you have mixed the batter to readiness to pipe. Do not over mix your batter to make it too runny or your cookies won't rise and you wont have the feet.
    Step5: Filling the batter in a piping bag:
    • To make beautiful candy cane looking macarons, using a paint brush paint two thick line on the inside of the piping bag with the red color on opposit sides.
    • Spoon in the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a #12round tip. Fill only till the fill mark on the piping bag, do not over fill. You can pipe the batter onto silicone macron molded mats or pre-traced sheets of parchment paper fixed to a baking tray.
    Step6: Piping Batter on parchment paper or macron sheets:
    • If using parchment paper, you can use some batter as glue to hold the parchmentsheet steady on the baking tray. If you are using the macaron sheets just place them flat on the baking tray.
    • Now pipe the macarons perpendicular to the surface. If your tip is pointing a bit in any particular direction when you pipe the macarons might come out oblong or malformed. Pipe the macarons onto the parchment paper in 1-inch rounds circles about an 1-inch(2-cm) apart. When you are finishing the pipingmotion stop squeezing the bag and pull up with a circular motion.
    Step7: Rap the baking tray:
    • Once you have piped your macrons on the sheet, hold the baking sheet a good foot or so above your flat work surface and drop the pan (evenly). Rap the sheet on the work surface 7 to 8 times at least. This ensures that all of the bubbles make their way out of the batter. If you don’t do this well, you will end up with hollow macarons.
    Step8: Rest the macrons to form a skin:
    • Rest your macarons to set for 30 minutes or so, so that the macarons form a skin. You should be able to touch the shell and feel a dry surface. You will notice that they harden and appear a bit glossy. Resting the shells will force the macarons to bake upward and not outward. This is what is responsible for forming the iconic feet and shape of each cookie.
    Step9: Bake:
    • I can't stress enough that this temperature is crucial: Bake at 285F or 140C for 12 minutes rotate the tray after 6 minutes for even baking. Always make sure to place the baking tray on the topmost rack in the oven to prevent them from baking too fast and cracking.
    • Remove from the oven and allow them to cool completely before you attempt to poke or remove them from the baking sheet. These cookies are very delicate, if you remove before they cool, they will crack or deflate.
    Step10: White Chocolate Ganache-Double boiler method:
    a) In a saucepot add 1 cup of water and bring it to a simmer.
    b) Add heavy whipping cream in a glass bowl that is big enough to sit on top of the saucepot.
    c) Place the glass bowl with whipping cream on top of the simmering saucepot for double boiling.
    d) Heat cream in bowl until steam starts to rise from the surface but isn't boiling yet. Add white chocolate chips to the sauce pan at this stage. Whisk gently until white chocolate chips are melted and blended into the cream. Once completely melted, it will be smooth and runny
    Step11: Pipe the white chocolate ganache filling:
    Pipe in the white chocolate ganache in the piping cone.
    Step12: To Assemble:
    Pipe the chocolate ganache filling onto the back of half the macaron shell. Top it with another macaron shell to form a sandwich and press until the buttercream reaches the edges. Repeat with remaining macaron shells and buttercream.
    Pipe in the white chocolate ganace onto the smooth base of the macaron shell. Top it with another macaron shell to form a sandwich and press until the ganache reaches the edges, dont press too hard and be careful not to break the cookies. Repeat with remaining macaron shells and chocolate ganache.

Notes

IMPORTANT TIPS FOR MAKING MACARONS:
  • Process almond flour and icing sugar well in a food processor before you put it through the sieve.
  • Sieving the mix through the sieve aerates the flour and makes sure there are no large pieces of almond flour. Discard the larger particles if any, don’t try to press them through the sieve.
  • Aquafaba has to be at room temperature before you plan it.
  • Make sure that you beat your meringue very stiff.
  • Aquafaba takes much longer than egg whites to come to stiff peak stage so be patient.
  • The mixing of batter to make the macronage takes some practice so be patient. When the batter starts coming together it should look like thick lava.
  • Do not over mix your macronage till it is too runny or your cookies wont rise.
  • Pipe the macarons perpendicular to the surface. If your tip is pointing a bit in any particular direction when you pipe the macarons might come out oblong or malformed.
  • Once you have piped your macrons on the sheet, hold the baking sheet a good foot or so above your flat work surface and drop the pan (evenly). Rap the sheet on the work surface 7 to 8 times at least to remove bubbles
  • You have to rest the macarons for at least 30 minutes so that the macarons form a skin. This is what is responsible for forming the iconic feet and shape of each cookie.
  • Place the baking tray on the topmost rack in the oven to prevent them from baking too fast and cracking.
  • Allow them to cool completely before removing them from the baking sheet. These cookies are very delicate.
  • Once you pipe in the filling , macarons will be best after 1-2 days resting in the fridge but you can have them immdeiately if you wish.
  • Overbaked your shells? In case you overbake your shells and they become too crispy you can brush the bottom with some milk before assembly to soften them up.
  • You can change the flavoring by using a different type of essence or extract - 1 teaspoons worth. Use anything you would like to fill the macarons, buttercream, ganache, lemon curd or fruit preserve.