Vegan French Earl Grey Macarons

Origin: French

Who ever thought chickpea juice would make one of the best macarons I have ever had?

Sweet with a great fresh taste of earl grey that makes you want more without dying of a sugar overdose.

Fun fact: Macarons (with 1 "o") is what I made here. Two light meringue based french cookies sandwiched with a sweet frosting. Macaroons (with 2 "o"s) is a southern coconut cookie that is heavy and sweet; which I will be making soon.

Makes about: 48 halves or 24 small macarons

Time: 3 hours

Difficulty: 3 Out of 5

Prep:

Place parchment paper on a baking sheet

Ingredients: Earl Grey Cookie

15 oz or 15.5 oz can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans - just the juice, use the beans for another use

1 cup almond flour

1/8 cup earl grey tea - about 6 tea bags

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream

2 tablespoons vegetable shorting

2 1/3 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon almond milk - add another if the frosting is too dry

Instructions: Earl Grey Cookie

- Step 1 - Boil the Chickpea Juice

Boil the juice of a 15.5 oz can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans for about 10 minutes - it will reduce down to about 1/3 cup. It will smell a bit funky as it is reducing, but this is normal.

You can use the chickpeas or garbanzo beans for something else - not needed for this recipe.

- Step 2 - Pulse the Dry Ingredients

As your chickpea juice is reducing place 1 cup of almond flour, 1/8 cup of earl grey tea, and 1/2 cup of powdered sugar in a food processor and pulse a few times.

- Step 3 - Sift

Sift your almond flour mixture at least two times. You don't want any chunks in your powder.

Set aside for later use.

- Step 4 - Get the Sugar Ready

Get your 1/2 cup of granulated sugar ready and just set aside.

- Step 5 - Mix Your Chickpea Juice

Once your juice has reduced pour it through a sifter into a large bowl and start mixing it on high.

Keep mixing it for about 3 minutes or until it is starting to thicken up.

- Step 6 - Add the Granulated Sugar

Add the 1/2 granulated sugar slowly into the chickpea juice as you are mixing.

Mix till it starts to form soft peeks - about 5 minutes - don't over mix.

- Step 7 - Fold in the Dry Ingredients

Mix in your almond flour mixture slowly with a spatula - about a third at a time.

Fold this slowly so your chickpea juice keeps the air, but make sure all your dry ingredients are mixed in well.

- Step 8 - Add the Vanilla

Add the 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract till it is well combined.

- Step 9 - Fill the Pipping Bag

Fill a piping bag full of your macaron mixture.

- Step 10- Pipe Small Disks

Pipe 1 inch disks onto the parchment paper.

You would normally not want a little tip on your macaron, but it fit well for the purpose I was making them for.

- Step 10 - Let Sit 45 Minutes

As your macarons sit and harden preheat your oven to 205 F.

After the 45 minutes, the tops of your macarons should be slightly hard. Do not press down, just touch.

- Step 12 - Bake

Bake the macarons for 30 minutes.

Once the 30 minutes is over turn off the oven and crack the oven open for 15-20 minutes to cool.

Once the 15 minutes has passed pull the macarons out and place them on a cooling rack until they cool completely and become little light hard shelled disks. - The bottom should be flat and not caved it.

Cream

- Step 13 - Mix the Ingredients

In a large bowl mix 2 tablespoons of vegetable shorting, 2 1/3 cups of powdered sugar (I added this in slowly to not make a mess), and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract.

Mix till combined.

- Step 14 - Mix in Almond Milk

Your frosting will be dry, so you'll want to add 1 tablespoon of almond milk and mix till your get a nice creamy frosting.

If it still seems too dry add another tablespoon of almond milk; but be careful, you an go from creamy to too wet really fast.

Finishing Touches

- Step 15 - Let Cool Completely

Make sure your macarons are cooled completely.

- Step 16 - Fill the Piping Bag and Pipe Cream

Fill your pipping bag with your frosting and pipe frosting on the bottom of one cookie.

- Step 17 - Make a Sandwich

Take a second cookie and sandwich them together.

- Step 18 - Enjoy!

Once all your cookies are sandwiched together - eat them, share them, and enjoy them.

This recipe was found on "Morsels Moon Shine" website and it was a life saver. I've never made macaroons, but this was perfect. I added a few more instructions for bakers who need a few more steps.