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?
Carbzilla says
Wowee kazowee - those are GORGEOUS!
spabettie says
thank you, Tiff! 😀
christina says
all i have to say is CAN I MOVE IN WITH YOU???? I want to learn how to make such beautiful treats and even more, I want to learn how to photograph them! Ah, you amaze me. But seriously if you ever need a housekeeper or umm personal assistant, call me hahah
spabettie says
oh my GAAH, I need both of those things, my friend! and we would have SO much fun...
Leanne @ Healthful Pursuit says
I saw this recipe in my reader and I was like... wait, what? Did that just say... vegan?... How? What ingredients? How did she do it!?... then I go to the post and there isn't a recipe. But I can understand you wanting to test it a few more times before you release it's amazingness into the world. I'll be waiting. Oh boy, will I be waiting.
spabettie says
*sigh* I know - I've had several "you're a tease" emails, asking me for the recipe in secret. 😉
Kath (My Funny Little Life) says
Whoa! When I was scrolling downward, the macarons in your second pictures seemed to jump out of the screen and into my face! 😀 (Honestly: Try this! Scroll downward from the top of the post and then see what happens when you pass the second pic! :D)
Why are they so green? Okay, you said cardamom, but this it just the theoretical reason. The practical remains mysterious. Is it food coloring? Matcha powder? (Please tell me because, you know, once a scientific's mind is in curiosity mood, there's no thought of sleep! ;))
Other things I'd love to know: Why would perfectioning o appearance have to make the taste less enjoyable? (*Does* it have to do with match powder in the end? ;))
Which other colors do you dream of?
Do you plan to vary the filling? (Let's say, from choc to cashew cream?)
Will you some day take an even greater challenge and make a *soy-free* version of these?
Sorry, I'm really nasty tonight. On top of your already giddy day. (Sheesh Kath, leave it!) So, for reconcilement, here is the most awesome electronic music video *with dogs*:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F52dx9Z0L5k
😀
spabettie says
Kath you are giving me a much needed laugh right now!! I used a slight amount of food color, just enough for a tinge of cool green. the cardamom doesn't actually make them green, as the seeds are more brown when crushed - I was thinking of a fresh cardamom plant with the green. matcha would be a great flavor to use, though - then I could make a matcha ganache filling! ooh. the possibilities are ENDLESS.
and I'm not thinking the taste WILL be less enjoyable as I continue to perfect the process - with that statement I was thinking, they taste GREAT now, and that's the most important thing, right? 😀
haaa - you're really being funny with that one - Soy Free Indeed!! I should have kept photos of the first few tries before I had this wonder product... they were soy free, but they were also ... oh so wrong. 😉 besides, this stuff, while it has soy, is VERY fun to play with!! I made some juice the other day, added some and whipped my juice into stiff peaks! it was glorious!
and thank you for the video - so fun! I kept looking for a dachshund, but the Basset came close! 😀
Kath (My Funny Little Life) says
Yeah, I know there is no dachshund in the vid. 🙁 But the others are fun, too, especiall the one whose fur looks like electrified! 😀
Btw I just saw the scrolling fun only work when you have a little wheel for scrolling on your mouse and use that one. The side bar won't do it.
Now you've almost gotten through that awkward day ... I hope tomorrow will be better! If I can do anything for you, I'm just an email away, you know that! Even if it's just that you write me all your sorrows to relief your heart. But you don't have to, you know that, too, if you don't want to, or feel it wouldn't help you, or already have talked with somebody else. Just know I'm always here because I'm you're friend. 🙂
Kath (My Funny Little Life) says
My spelling is totally f***d up again, sorry.
spabettie says
oh, I LOVE the video - do not want to sound like I'm a Dachshund Only Girl, I love all pups! 🙂 I liked the big one that was flapping all the water off - slow motions of that are always great to watch!
and THANK YOU, Kath!! I know you are - and I love our emails! I will email you later or this weekend. not anything big or bad, just a little thing, and a Kath E Chat is just what I need! 🙂 XO
Kath (My Funny Little Life) says
I'm looking forward to that! Have a refreshing workout! 🙂
spabettie says
p.s. ! your drawing is FINALLY being posted tomorrow! 😀
Kath (My Funny Little Life) says
Whee! 😀
I wonder, do you have Skype? Maybe we could talk via Skype as well. 🙂 (Exciting! You'll learn how bad my English actually is, and how much I have to search for words ... But it would be fun! :D)
spabettie says
I SO NEED to learn skype!! I have never used it but I should - that would definitely be fun! I'll work on it and get "My Tech Guy" (heh!) to help set it up... 😀
Jessica says
You know I'm talkin' 'bout Betty. She's a nice girl and all, but kind of grainy. Rice flour's OK. It's good to have mixes, though. I don't know how people did this 10 years ago.
Katrina says
These look delicious! I finally made macarons for the first time a couple months ago. LOVE them!
spabettie says
kinda fun to make, right? 😀
Amanda says
I WANT ONE! I can't believe they are vegan. They turned out so beautiful. I think pink ones would be perfect! 😉
spabettie says
thank you, Amanda!! 😀 yep - pink ones are definitely in the plans...
Fizzy Liz says
Those vegan macarons look like hamburgers! That is AWESOME! Write your recipe book.
spabettie says
working on it! 🙂
clairece says
girl, aren't you writing a cookbook? as much as I want a recipe, this isn't just something you give away!! they look amazing, and your photos as always do too. XO
spabettie says
ha - good point, my friend! 😀
Hanna says
More cardamom! Vegan macarons! You're the best!
spabettie says
ha - see?! this time of year, I tell ya!