Neekta's Delightful Chocolate Macarons – A Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Treat!

Neekta's Delightful Chocolate Macarons – A Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Treat!

Hey, lovely bakers! It's Neekta from Baking with Neekta, and I've got a mouthwatering treat for you today – Chocolate Macarons – A Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Treat! I know the struggle of food sensitivities, and I'm here to prove that tasty treats are for everyone.

Ingredients:

• 145g almond flour

• 145g powdered sugar

• 10g cocoa powder

• About 3 eggs for precisely 100g egg whites

• 95g granulated golden cane sugar

• ⅛ tsp salt

• ⅛ tsp cream of tartar

• ½ tsp vanilla extract

• A bit over a cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips

• ½ cup coconut milk

Let's dive into the magic!

Prep Work (the day before):

1. Measure out 100g of egg whites, cover with foil, poke some holes with a fork, and pop it in the fridge overnight for dehydration.

2. For the ganache, toss those chocolate chips into a bowl. Boil your coconut milk, then pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for a minute, then mix until glossy. Set it aside at room temperature overnight to thicken.

Next Day:

1. Combine cocoa powder, almond flour, and powdered sugar. Sift, blend (in a food processor), sift, blend, and sift again. Set it aside. We want that perfect, fine, fluffy texture!

2. Clean your stand mixer bowl and whisk with a touch of apple cider vinegar – we want zero fat here! Whip up the dehydrated egg whites with cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla extract until frothy. Once frothy, slowly drizzle in the granulated sugar. Aim for stiff peaks! You'll see it clumping on the whisk attachment – that's the magic happening!

Macaronage:

1. Add a third of the dry mixture to the egg whites, and fold. Add the rest, and fold until you can make a figure eight with that thick-drippy batter.

2. Time to pipe! Use those silicone-lined sheets with macaron markings. Tap it on the counter – three times on all four sides.

3. Let it sit to dehydrate and form a skin. If it's humid, place them under the air vent to speed things up.

Baking:

1. Bake them one sheet at a time at 300°F for 15 minutes, rotating every 5 minutes for that perfect, even bake.

2. Let them cool, then pipe in that luxurious ganache and sandwich them together in pairs.

For a step-by-step visual treat, check out my video on Baking with Neekta. Happy baking, and let's make food sensitivities a thing of the past, one macaron at a time! 🍫✨