As I was finalizing the recipe and processes of an upcoming vegan macaron class, I couldn't resist using the leftover batter to create capybaras!
The macaron shells are coloured and flavoured with Hojicha. Since capybaras are known to soak in onsen filled with floating yuzu, I decided to fill them with hojicha ganache and yuzu marmalade.
Swiss meringue method was used to make the macaron shells from aquafaba that has been reduced by 50%. Remember to shake the can of chickpeas hard before using the aquafaba.
Here's the template for the large capybara with yuzu on the head.
Please resize the template to fit an A4 sheet
I only had brown and white macaron batter to work with so I used edible paint to add in all the other details. I finally found a brand of edible paint that dries fairly quickly, doesn't need dilution with water or alcohol, and doesn't dissolve the surface it is painted on!
To make the ganache vegan, I used plant based white chocolate.
Please see the reel for the piping and painting video tutorial:
Tips for vegan macarons:
🔸Make sure the meringue is whipped till very stiff. Aquafaba based meringues are not as stable & robust as egg white based meringues. There isn't a danger of over whipping so go ahead and whip away! This applies for all meringue methods using aquafaba. If meringue isn't stiff enough, you get exploding feet & batter breaks down faster
🔸Use an acid to help stabilize meringue
🔸Don't overfold the batter
🔸Pipe larger macs. Small macs tend to have lopsided feet due to weaker nature of aquafaba meringue
🔸Rest your piped batter till really dry to prevent exploding feet. You should be able to swipe a finger across the surface of the piped batter while applying slight pressure. It should feel dry & firm
🔸Try to maintain constant oven temperature as any fluctuations can cause the feet to go wonky
🔸 Don't bake at too high a temperature or you get exploding feet
🔸 Don't bake at too low a temperature or you get lopsided feet or no feet
🔸 Bake longer than you would regular macs since vegan macs bake at lower temperatures than egg white based macs
🔸 Remember you are working with something tricky & it can go all wrong if your oven decides to play punk so don't be a perfectionist. Some hollows are expected
with love,
Phay Shing
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