Not just any sandwich cookie: The dairy-free chocolate macaron

Abstract

Dairy free macarons are tasty and only require a few modifications from the original recipes. We used the Joy of Baking Chocolate Macaron recipe and tutorial, and added a frosting modified to be dairy free. Results demonstrated the delicious contrast of textures and depth of chocolate flavor achieved just from cocoa powder. 

Introduction

The delicate French treat is often dairy in bakeries and packaged versions in grocery stores. But it does not have to be! Essential components of macarons are egg whites and almond flour, so adapting them for individuals with egg and nut allergies would be a monumental and interesting challenge. In contrast, adapting macarons for those of us who do not eat dairy by choice or for survival only requires ensuring that the filling is safe. 

Method

Equipment and measures: 

The chocolate macaron recipe:

https://www.joyofbaking.com/frenchmacarons/ChocolateMacaronsRecipe.html

Macaron procedures: 

I highly recommend watching the excellent video in the link above to learn about the techniques involved in baking macarons. If you want to rely on me, here's my two cents (that may be even less valued in today's economy):

1. Age your eggs by separating them the night before. Ensure that your egg whites weigh exactly 100g as specified in the recipe. This is no time to channel your inner Amelia Badelia- I once tried to add one tsp of liquid and it completely changed the results. Three eggs got me to just about 96g so I had to add a portion of one more egg. You better believe I saved the rest of the egg yolks and most of one egg- this is my retirement portfolio now.  

2. The day of baking, bring the egg whites up to room temperature and start sifting your ingredients.  You're not just sifting for lightness, but also to remove any small lumps. I triple sift my dry ingredients together for extra security and also because I skip the step of processing the dry ingredients together 2/2 lack of food processer. 

3. Once your egg whites are at room temperature, whip them up with the cream of tartar until frothy, then gradually add the sugar and beat on medium-high until peaks form. Here's what my peaks look like for reference. 

4. Mix the dry into wet in three gentle steps as you make your "macronage". It looks weird and you might freak out but here's my step by step. 

First addition.

Second addition.

Third addition.

5. As you mix in your last bit of dry ingredients, every so often try to make a figure eight with the batter by elevating your spatula and waving it above the bowl. When you can make a smooth figure eight without it breaking, you're ready:

Almost! 

Bam! 

6. I used too small of a piping tip this time (Wilton 8, I should have used my 12), but then add your batter to a piping bag fitted with a circle tip. 

7. Not pictured, but I struggle with the usual piping method of squeezing perpendicular to the baking pan and making a small mound. Instead, I find it easiest to pipe in a concentric spiral. When I started, I used parchment paper with a template of circles that I'd drawn underneath. Then, my generous sisters gifted me with these special Silpats with templates already drawn on and my macaron journey was forever improved. Just to show you what dark times we'd be living in if I tried with aluminum foil:

8. Tap, and then wait 30-60 minutes until they feel smooth to the touch on top. This time, it took me about 45 minutes. Preheat your oven and bake according to the directions. I did 15 minutes total this time and thought they may have been a little too crispy, so I'll remember to try 14-14.5 minutes next time. 

Frosting equipment and measures:

Frosting recipe

No link for this one- I wrote my go-to recipe on paper years ago and regretfully I did not note the source. I just labeled it as "Really Good Chocolate Buttercream Frosting." 

1 c margarine

4 c powdered sugar

3/4 c cocoa powder

2-3 t vanilla

2-3 T milk

Beat margarine and vanilla

Mix sugar and cocoa, then beat into margarine.

Add milk to desired texture.

Product link:

https://miyokos.com/products/vegan-butter

Frosting thoughts:

I used  new to me margarine, as this time I needed to ensure that the macarons were also soy-free. This was a good reminder that when making frosting dairy-free, it can help to start with the proportions of 1:4 margarine to powdered sugar, then add any liquid ingredients slowly. Each plant-based milk option has unique viscosity and you also may have unique preferences or needs for whatever you are frosting. For macarons, a thick frosting works well because it needs to hold the cookies together. 

 

Results

Not much to say here, just going to drop the mic.  

(I've always dreamed of just writing, "Just look at the tables.")

All packaged up for the birthday girl!

For all my doubters who thought I could not make shapes. 

Discussion

Thanks for your patience with me in reading this far, and for the time it took to get this second post out. 

Macarons take some patience and time. They are a labor of love, but they do get easier with practice. I find that the most time consuming (and messiest) portion is sifting the dry ingredients. I've never had the real deal but I do find these delicious! They get even better with time, so I try to make these at least one day in advance of serving. For best results, I recommend storing in the fridge trying your best to wait to bring them up to room temperature before eating. 

Limitations in generalizations of findings include that I'm still relatively new to baking macarons and that I've never tried ones baked by a true professional. Also, results may depend on your ingredients. 

In the future, I hope to improve by playing with flavor combinations and decoration. I have also used the Joy of Baking's French Macaron recipe to make vanilla macarons with food coloring. 

Dairy free baking is an interesting field because individuals may be interested for different reasons. I bake dairy free out of necessity- I enjoy baking and eating, and my body thinks dairy is a foreign invader and launches a full scale attack when it feels threatened. However, I can now eat eggs and most tree nuts with no problem. Others may be less sensitive to dairy and could eat at a bakery as long as the ingredients themselves are safe, and others have to be extremely cautious of multiple allergens. I wonder if there are not many posts about dairy free macarons because the allergy-friendly recipes tend to be developed with children in mind. These definitely aren't fast and require some practice. I would never have the confidence to bake these if it weren't for watching Great British Bake Off contestants (and editing, and their skills) making it look reasonable. Alternatively, perhaps it is because macarons do necessarily contain two other common allergens of eggs and almonds. I bake with my own safety and the safety of those I love and bake for in mind, but feel free to let me know if you want to see anything else on here. 

Thanks for reading. I hope you have a great, safe, and delicious day!