I have had a huge interest in baking since college. My first real job, I would wake up early to make fresh bagels to bring to the office (fairly easy once you get a routine), and frequently hosted pageant parties where girlfriends would wear crowns while enjoying wine and dessert treats.
After many successes with established recipes, I must have felt my ego needed a check - I started to write my own. Years before I knew what a blog was, I created recipes. I still shudder when I think of all that was lost with a laptop death a few years ago - chills as I type that now.
Fast forward several years, adding a new challenge of baking vegan and gluten free. Friends and family subjected to enjoying flat loaf cakes with a smile, and a good stretch where all I made was variations of brownies "because I wanted the result to be dense and fudgy". Well, that part is still true.
French macarons were something I did not attempt as a vegetarian, when I could have easily used eggs. Nope, I had to wait until the challenge would be much greater. After a couple not so pretty fails, I summoned the willpowder to keep going.
With attempts at clever jokes came success! With this amazing product I created a cardamom macaron and filled it with dark chocolate ganache. Then I resumed breathing. Whew.
Before I share a recipe I will be making more batches. While these tasted amazing and had the similar textures to a classic macaron, I want to perfect their appearance while hopefully making them less delicate. I want to make other bright colors (for cardamom flavored I chose a pale green). I just want more excuses to make these and have that elation again! I was giddy all day. After I resumed breathing.
What was your last elated success, in cooking or otherwise?
lynn @ the actor's diet says
YUM! these look so good (and inspired me to nominate you for a foodbuzz award!)
spabettie says
wow, THANK YOU, Lynn! you just made my day!
Jessica @ Dairy Free Betty says
awesome! I can't imagine they are easy to make? I've never had one so I have no idea! Cardamon isn't a flavor I enjoy - but I still look forward to the recipe! 🙂
I think you should make some hot pink ones 🙂
spabettie says
no, not easy... but not as hard as I made them out to be, really. bright pink - that is the color I had in mind!! 😀
Jessica says
My son's birthday was last week, and I had some coconut flour and oil that I wanted to use for his cupcakes. The only issue is that most of the recipes I've seen contain a crazified amount of eggs and both of my kids are allergic. The recipe I found called for 6 and I had heard that replacing 3 eggs using chia was kind of the limit, so I subbed 3 eggs with chia and 3 with Ener G egg replacer and it was FABULOUS! I was so excited!
spabettie says
that is SO great, Jessica! good call to mix the kinds of "eggs" too - I don't know if I've ever had to replace that many in one recipe, but I know I'd be wondering if it would work! great job!
Jessica says
Some of the coconut flour recipes I've seen on Tropical Traditions have called for TEN eggs! I think I'd be tempted to cut the whole recipe in half, or do 2 batches. I'm pretty sure those were cakes with 2 layers.
spabettie says
holy COW (or should I say chicken?!) I have never seen that many eggs for a recipe... or if I did I forget because it boggled my mind and I said no way! 😉 so happy there are lovely things like chia and even Ener-G - the first replacer I ever used! 🙂
Jessica says
While EnerG was my first love...Chia is my soulmate. I never got cookies to work until I discovered it. And if chia can make a certain gluten free box mix with the initials B.C. taste pretty good...well...that's all she wrote!
spabettie says
ha - by any chance are you talking about Betty?? 😉 nice! Ener-G was my first love too - I like chia more nowadays too - and I always have them around!
Evan Thomas says
Please don't wait too long to share; I really want to know how to make these!
spabettie says
the versawhip is crazy awesome stuff - it basically makes any liquid a foam, like egg whites. perhaps cheating in a way, but they turned out better than my other attempts...
Noelle (@singerinkitchen) says
You tease!! I was really wanting to see how they were made vegan. Now I will have to be patient. 😀
spabettie says
I know, I'm sorry! 🙂 I really wanted to share these, that I did it! I want to perfect them before sharing with anyone.
katie @KatieDid says
That's one of the things I love about needing to be gluten free; the challenge of cooking and baking and suiting my needs. I love that I have to think and tweek and recreate many times to get something just right!
spabettie says
I love it too - learning and figuring out what does what!
Holly @ The Runny Egg says
Those are too cute -- to be honest my first thought was "they look like little mini hamburgers!"
And I was thisclose to entering ipoop as my email address 🙂
spabettie says
haaa! that would have made me laugh, Holly. (actually it did) 😉
Heather (Where's the Beach) says
I've never had a macaron. I love your baking gusto. I'd gladly sample anything you passed my weigh (meat-free of course). I guess my latest success was 12 mile run yesterday. Now I'm beat down.
spabettie says
unfortunately this batch was a little delicate - I have NO idea what they'd look like if I were to ship them! 🙂 that's one thing I hope to perfect - making them less likely to crumble with a sneeze or strong breeze!
katie says
My latest success is becoming a 'professional packer' haha! Moving 4 times in 3 years will do that!
These look so so so fabulous!
I want to attend a pageant party! How fun!
Happy Weekend! kisses to Basil!
<3
spabettie says
there really is an art to packing and moving - I have done it enough to know (and I'm not very artful at it!). 🙂
my pageant parties were so fun - I have a collection of crowns and tiaras, and when friends would come in they would get to pick one to wear for the evening! 😀 happy weekend to you all too - from me and Basil!
Pure2raw Twins says
those look incredible! we have always wanted to make gluten free and vegan baked macaroons but just have not gotten around to it haha can't wait to see what you did 🙂
spabettie says
yes, I've wanted to try for a while now... very intimidating! I made sure I had everything ready, started the process early on a cool morning, all that. some came out okay, but not quite macaron like! I have not tried again after this batch, so I'm hoping they turn out at least the same if not better! happy weekend, you two!
monica says
hello! I have been looking for a vegan recipe for macarons. Have you giving yours away? hihi. Please share! 🙂