Dietary Consideration/ Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Low Fat (and tasty!)
Yield: About 15
with help from David Lebovitz
Macaron Batter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup ground almonds
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
Pinch of salt
1 drop of mauve food coloring
1/4 teaspoon cherry extract
10 tablespoons granulated sugar
Black Cherry Filling/
Vegan Buttercream (see below)
Cherry Preserves
Black Food Coloring
Directions/
Preheat oven to 350º F (180º C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and have a pastry bag with a plain tip (about 1/2-inch). Grind together the powdered sugar with the almond flour in a food processor so there are no lumps.
In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, beat the egg whites (with the whisk attachment) and the pinch of salt until they begin to rise and hold their shape. Add extract and coloring and continue to whip. While whipping, beat in the granulated sugar until very stiff and firm, about 2 minutes.
Carefully fold the dry ingredients, in two batches, into the beaten egg whites with a flexible rubber spatula. When the mixture is just smooth and there are no streaks of egg white, stop folding and scrape the batter into the pastry bag (standing the bag in a tall glass). Pipe the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheets in 1-inch circles, evenly spaced. Bang the baking sheet a few times firmly on the counter top to flatten the macarons, then bake them for 10-15 minutes. Let cool completely then remove from baking sheet.
Building the Macarons/
Pipe a bit of the filling on the inside of the macarons then sandwich them together. Let them stand at least one day before serving. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Gluten Free & Vegan Buttercream
Makes: 4 cups
Ingredients/
1 cup Earth Balance (or other butter substitute of your choosing)
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup plain soy milk
Directions/
Beat the Earth Balance until well combined and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat for about 3 more minutes. Add the vanilla and soy milk, and beat for another 5 to 7 minutes until fluffy. (For Black cherry filling: add 1/4 cup pureed cherry preserves and 2 drops of black food coloring or until desired color is reached.) Add more powdered sugar if the buttercream is too thin, or more soy milk if too thick.
