Mini Strawberry Macarons with Basil and Rhubarb
These delicate, tiny cookies are positively bursting with flavor - Strawberry Basil Rhubarb to be exact!
Yield: 40 pieces
Calories: 72kcal
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Baking Sheets
- Macaron Template optional
Materials
Macaron Shells
- 100 grams Almond Flour
- 100 grams Confectioner's Sugar
- 100 grams Granulated Sugar
- 100 grams Egg Whites
- 1 pinch Salt
- 10-20 drops Red Food Coloring optional
- 3 tablespoons Dehydrated Strawberries crushed, optional
Strawberry Basil Rhubarb Compote
- 8 ounces Strawberries diced
- 8 ounces Rhubarb diced
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Basil Leaves chopped
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 2 tablespoon Honey
Strawberry Basil Rhubarb Buttercream
- 1 cup Confectioner's Sugar
- 4 tablespoons Butter
- 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 tablespoon Milk
- 3 tablespoons Strawberry Basil Rhubarb Compote cooled
Instructions
Macaron Shells
- Begin by weighing 100 grams of each almond flour, confectioner’s sugar, granulated sugar and egg whites on a kitchen scale.
- Combine almond flour, confectioner’s sugar and salt in a large bowl. Sift this mixture 3 times, discarding any large pieces left behind.
- Next, combine egg whites and 1/2 of the granulated sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer. Make a double boiler with the bowl from your stand mixer and a small pot of boiling water. Whisk this constantly until the sugar dissolves and the mix becomes frothy, 2 – 3 minutes. Fit the bowl onto the mixer and turn on to medium, adding the remaining granulated sugar slowly. (If you are dying them add the gel food coloring now.) Then turn the speed to high and mix until you achieve stiff peaks. If you rub a bit of the mix between your fingers you shouldn’t be able to feel any granules of sugar.
- Add the sifted almond flour mixture to the bowl carefully and mix on low for a few seconds. The mixture will be lumpy and not uniform. Add the food coloring if using. Remove from mixer base and fold the batter carefully until you have a uniform mix. Continue to fold the batter, twisting in the middle, until it reaches a lava-like consistency. You should be able to draw a figure eight with the batter without it breaking and it will dissolve into the batter within 15 seconds or so.
- Add the batter to a piping bag fitted with a large tip. Pipe out macarons using parchment paper or a silicone template. Tamp the tray down a few times to release any air bubbles and allow to dry for 30 minutes. You should be able to lightly touch the tops of them without sticking.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Bake macarons for 13 – 15 minutes, turning the tray halfway through. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
Strawberry Basil Rhubarb Compote
- Add the diced strawberries and rhubarb to a medium pot with the basil, lemon juice and honey. Cook over medium heat for 3 – 5 minutes until the strawberries and rhubarb have started to soften. Then mash the mixture and continue to cook until thickened, another 5 – 10 minutes. Set aside and allow the mixture to cool.
Strawberry Basil Rhubarb Buttercream
- Beat until smooth confectioner’s sugar, butter, vanilla and milk in a medium bowl. Then add the cooled compote and mix well.
Assembling Mini Macarons
- Add the buttercream and compote to piping bags fitted with small round tips. Then pipe buttercream around the edges of 1/2 of the macaron shells. Then fill the center with the Strawberry Basil Rhubarb Compote and top with the remaining macaron shells.
- Optionally if you would like to decorate the tops you can brush them lightly with water and dust with crushed dehydrated strawberries.