Egg-free raspberry chocolate macarons

I discovered several years ago that I'm sensitive to eggs, and it was only last year that I learned about using aquafaba (chickpea water) as a substitute. It really whips up just like egg whites! I've had macarons before, but it's been a long time and I've never made them myself until recently. For that reason, I found this video incredibly helpful, especially because it provides tips on how to make sure the macarons come out well. Ignore her recipe but pay attention to her method, especially if you've never made these before.

INGREDIENTS: 

Macaron shells:
150 grams aquafaba (chickpea liquid)
1/16 teaspoon cream of tartar
Pinch of salt
100 grams almond meal
90 grams powdered sugar
50 grams superfine sugar
Red food coloring
4 drops raspberry essence

Chocolate ganache: 
4 ounces dark chocolate

3/8 cup cream

1 tablespoon butter


INSTRUCTIONS:

Shells: Drain the liquid from a 15-ounce can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans). You should get about 150 grams. In a small saucepan, bring the liquid to a simmer, and reduce it to 75 grams. Chill it in the refrigerator (or freezer, but don't let it freeze) until it's very cold.

Sift the almond meal and powdered sugar into a bowl. Set aside. 

Whisk the reduced, cold aquafaba with cream of tartar and salt in a mixer on high until it forms soft peaks. Make sure there is no more liquid left at the bottom of the bowl before moving on to the next step. Gradually add the superfine sugar (if you don't have superfine, you can grind regular sugar in a coffee grinder) while the mixer is turned on. Add drops of food coloring until your meringue is the color you want, and then add the raspberry essence. You should end up with a thick, glossy meringue.

Add half of the almond and powdered sugar mixture to the meringue. Fold gently with a rubber spatula. Add the rest of the almond and powdered sugar mixture, continuing to fold the batter. Keep going until the mixture is viscous and flows off the spatula like lava (again, check out the video above). 

Fill a piping bag fitted with a round nozzle -- or a large ziplock bag with a hole cut in one corner -- with the macaron mixture. Pipe it into 2-inch mounds on a cookie sheet lined with a Silpat or silicone baking paper. This recipe makes about 30 individual macaron shells, so you may need to have a few trays ready.

Once piped, slam the tray on your kitchen counter a few times to eliminate any air bubbles. Leave your trays to rest for two hours, or until they're matte and you're able to touch the surface of the shells without anything sticking to your skin. 

Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake each tray of macarons individually for 28-30 minutes without opening the door. Remove tray from oven and leave to cool thoroughly before peeling macaron shells off from the Silpat or baking paper.

Repeat baking process with remaining trays of macarons.

Filling: Chop the chocolate and put it in a bowl. Heat the cream and butter until it's hot and almost boiling. Pour it over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate is melted and the ganache is smooth.

Assembly: Place the shells on a kitchen counter with the flat side up (rounded side down). To fill, pipe a thick circle of ganache inside one shell, then sandwich with another shell. Repeat the process until all your shells have been sandwiched.

Place macarons in a box and leave in the fridge overnight -- this gives them time for the textures to even out.