Vegan Macarons

There’s no denying that macarons take practice, but if you make sure the consistency is right before piping and have your oven at the correct temperature (an oven thermometer is best for this), you’ll be on to a winner.

Hands-on time 45min, plus resting and cooling. Cooking time about 25min. Makes about 22

FOR THE MACARONS

100g icing sugar

150g almond flour, or finely ground almonds

100g aquafaba, measure liquid from a tin of chickpeas 1/4tsp cream of tartar

125g granulated sugar 1/2tsp vanilla extract Vegan sugar sprinkles, optional (see GH TIP)

FOR THE FILLING

60g vegan unsalted butter alternative, we used Flora Plant B+tter 150g icing sugar, sifted

1tsp vanilla extract

Red and blue vegan food colouring pastes, optional, we used Sugarflair

1 For the macarons, sift the icing sugar into a bowl. Add the almond flour/finely ground almonds. Set aside. Next, line 2 large baking sheets with baking parchment. Draw 4cm circles on the parchment, spacing about 2.5cm apart. Flip so the ink is underneath.

2 In a large bowl and using a handheld electric whisk, beat the aquafaba and cream of tartar on low speed for 1min. Turn up the speed to medium and beat for 2min. Turn up the speed to high and beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks, about 5min. Gradually beat in the granulated sugar, whisking constantly. Beat back up to thick, glossy peaks

– it’s vital the mixture is thick. Beat in the vanilla extract.

3 Add the icing sugar mixture and, using a stiff spatula, fold confidently, knocking out the air as you go. You can also smear the mixture on to the insides of the bowl to knock out the air. Keep going until your mixture moves like lava (slowly settling into itself)

– you can test this by lifting a full spatula above the bowl; the mixture should continue to ooze off slowly.

4 Transfer ½ the mix to a piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain nozzle and, holding the piping bag vertically, pipe mixture inside the drawn circles. Repeat with remaining mixture. Bang baking sheets down hard against your work surface 4 or 5 times to burst any bubbles. If you have any peaks on your macarons, smooth down with a cocktail stick. Scatter a few sprinkles, if using, over ½ the macarons.

5 Set the baking sheets aside at room temperature for 1hr 30min, or until the macarons have formed a dry skin. If you touch them gently, no mixture should come off on your finger.

6 Preheat oven to 140°C (120°C fan) mark 1. Bake macarons in bottom ½ of the oven for 5min. Open oven and carefully spin the sheets 180°. Bake for a further 15-20min, spinning the sheets every 5min, until the macarons feel like they would peel off the baking parchment. Cool completely on sheets.

7 For the filling, beat all the ingredients, apart from the food colouring, using a handheld electric whisk, until light and fluffy. If you like, split the filling between 3 bowls and dye 2 of the bowls to your desired shade of red and blue. Spoon alternate teaspoonfuls of the filling into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm closed-star nozzle. Use filling to sandwich macarons together, using a plain base and sprinkled top (if you decorated with sprinkles). Serve.

PER MACARON 131cals, 2g protein, 6g fat (2g saturates), 18g carbs (17g total sugars), 0g fibre

TO STORE Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days (or in the fridge for up to a week).