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Strawberry Rhubarb French Macarons
Strawberry Rhubarb French Macarons
These elegant Strawberry Rhubarb French Macarons are the perfect summer treats: bursting with the juiciness of fresh strawberries and the tickling tartness of rhubarb, they deliver a ton of flavor in a tiny package! This recipe includes a variety of resources to help you successfully make macarons, including a full French Macaron video masterclass.
This post contains affiliate links. Full disclosure is at the bottom of the article.
After launching a macaron video class back in January, I decided to challenge myself to create new macarons more regularly to keep on feeding macaron fans looking for new flavor inspirations {pun intended!} and to keep honing my skills macaron- and pastry-wise. I feel like I learn something new every time I make a new macaron batch; instead of always using my same trusted recipe, I go out of my way to test new ingredients or techniques that have failed others. I want to keep gathering information to help budding macaron-makers (in other words, I hope to fail more to help you fail less!).
With all the tests I’ve done recently (such as using different types of almond meal and baking sheets with different finishes and beating egg whites stiffer or softer, to name a few), my macarons have not all been perfect looking. I used to strive to create the perfect macaron, but after a taste test I conducted at a real-life macaron-making class, I concluded that taste is the most important factor when it comes to enjoying a macaron.
In the taste test, I brought perfect-looking macarons from a popular pastry shop in Quebec City. All the students had already tasted them, and some had only ever tasted those macarons. I also brought macarons from another pastry shop, which were ugly looking by all macaron standards: the size of the shells was uneven, the feet had spread sideways, and some shells looked “wet.” However, everyone agreed that the ugly macarons were better. The perfect-looking macarons were dry and brittle, and the very thin layer of filling delivered little flavor, whereas the ugly macarons provided surprisingly great texture, and the flavors were bright and generous.
Since then, I’ve relaxed my macaron standards a little. I have to admit that I used to throw away macarons I made when I thought they looked a bit crooked for one reason or another; now if I’m confident of the flavors hidden inside, I keep them all. The other thing I realized is that I had built up unnecessarily high standards for myself when it came to macaron perfection; all my friends and loved ones are perfectly happy eating a macaron with a cracked or crispier shell than usual. As pastry creations, macarons will forever be treats that one enjoys with the eyes and the taste buds, but embracing imperfection can be freeing—which is something I should definitely apply to other areas of my life.
These Strawberry Rhubarb French Macarons package iconic early summer bounty in a single bite—they burst with the juiciness of fresh strawberries and the tickling tartness of rhubarb. The recipe is a bit more technical than usual because it requires you to make pâtes de fruits, another of my current obsessions. Pâtes de fruits are gummies made with fresh fruits, and these candies are commonly sold—at prohibitive prices—in pastry and gourmet shops in Paris. However, they’re quite easy to make at home, especially using this shortcut recipe from Jacques Pépin. The strawberry and rhubarb pâtes de fruits recipe yields a lot more than you’ll need to garnish the macarons, but once you taste a square, you’ll be over the moon that you have leftovers. In other words, your efforts will lend you not one but two delightful treats that’ll allow you to properly celebrate the arrival of summer.
FIRST TIME MAKING FRENCH MACARONS?
If this is your first time making macarons, prep, read, and watch before you start: Macarons are finicky to make, but if you set aside enough time so that you won’t be rushed, you can do it. I have a variety of resources available for you:
- A detailed step-by-step tutorial with photos to guide you through the process;
- A thorough troubleshooting guide that’ll help you understand mishaps, should they happen;
- And a 30-minute French Macaron Video Masterclass—which I highly recommend watching before you make macarons for the first time. There’s nothing like watching someone making macarons to learn how to make them properly—that’s how I learned over 10 years ago, and that’s how thousands of my students did too!
NEW: French Macaron Video Masterclass
Learn how to make perfect French macarons at home with my detailed video masterclass, now available to everyone for FREE and unlimited watching! This masterclass was previously hosted behind a paywall on an educational site where THOUSANDS of students rated it 5 STARS! It’s now available to all macaron lovers worldwide, for absolutely free ❤️
My detailed French Macaron Video Masterclass is divided into 14 handy lessons that will make you a macaron expert in no time. I designed my masterclass both for novice bakers who want to learn new skills, and for experienced bakers who are seeking to master a new and impressive dessert. Let me guide you through the essential equipment you need, the important steps to follow, the techniques to master, and the potential pitfalls to avoid. You can watch the videos on your own time, start practicing, share with other budding macaron makers, and ask me questions if you encounter difficulties along the way.
I’m confident that this video class will enable you to create perfect French macarons. Watch the class now!
If you enjoy my French Macaron Masterclass, make sure to “like” it on YouTube to allow other macaron lovers to discover it. Thank you and happy baking!
Strawberry Rhubarb Macarons
Ingredients
For the surprise filling
For the rhubarb buttercream
- 250 ml thinly sliced rhubarb stalks (greener tops discarded and/or reserved for another use)
- 125 ml water
- 12 g granulated sugar
- 113 g unsalted butter, room temperature (1 stick)
- Pinch kosher salt, or fine sea salt
- 600 g powdered sugar, sifted
For the macaron shells
- 3 large egg whites, separated two days in advance, stored in an open container in the fridge (about 3.5 oz/100 g)
- 210 g powdered sugar
- 125 g almond flour
- 30 g granulated sugar
- Pink gel food coloring
- Strawberry-flavored sugar, for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- At least 24 hours in advance, make the strawberry and rhubarb pâtes de fruits. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- For the rhubarb buttercream: In a small saucepan, combine the rhubarb, water, and granulated sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until the rhubarb breaks apart, about 5 minutes. Use a stick blender to puree the rhubarb mixture to a super smooth consistency. Transfer to a shallow bowl and refrigerate to cool completely.
- Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer, and beat for a minute to soften. Add half the powdered sugar and beat on low speed to moisten the sugar, then increase the speed to incorporate fully.Add ¼ cup (60 ml) of the cooled rhubarb puree and beat to incorporate fully. Incorporate the remaining powdered sugar. At this point, the buttercream should be fairly thick, so add more rhubarb buttercream to reach a creamy, but not too loose consistency (you will probably have a bit of puree leftover). Beat on medium speed until the buttercream is smooth and fluffy.Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a round tip and set aside until ready to assemble the macarons.
- For the macaron shells: *Return the egg whites to room temperature at least an hour before making the macaron shells.*
- In the bowl of a food processor, add the powdered sugar and almond flour, and process until the mixture is thoroughly incorporated, 30 seconds to a minute. Sift the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer to make sure no lumps or bigger bits of almonds are left.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or in a large stainless steel mixing bowl if using a hand mixer, whisk the egg whites on medium/high speed until frothy. Add a tablespoon of the granulated sugar, continue whisking at medium-low speed, then add the remaining sugar slowly. Increase the speed medium-high and whisk until the egg whites are bright white and create stiff peaks. At low speed, mix in a few drops pink gel food coloring, to your liking.
- Add the almond and powdered sugar mixture to the egg whites and, using a spatula, gently fold in the dry ingredients: slide your spatula all the way to the bottom of the bowl and comes back up to the top. Do this about 6 times to incorporate the dry ingredients, then keep folding for a total of about 14 times until no pockets of dry ingredients remain and the mixture drops from the side of the spatula in a slow, lazy ribbon. Start testing early to make sure not to overfold.
- Stack two baking sheets and line the top sheet with parchment paper. If you're not using parchment paper sheets, cut out the parchment paper so it fits precisely over the bottom of the sheet to make sure the macarons will lay flat. Slide macaron templates under the parchment paper, if using.
- Transfer the macaron batter to a pastry bag fitted with a ½-inch (1.25-cm) round tip. Pipe 1 ½-inch (3.8-cm) rounds of batter, evenly spaced but still close to one another as they will not expand much.
- Carefully slide the macaron templates off the baking sheets, if you used them. Lightly sprinkle the macaron shells with a pinch of strawberry-flavored sugar, if using. Let the shells rest on the baking sheets for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 275°F (135°C) with a rack set to the middle position. Bake each sheet of macaron shells for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the shells are firm on their feet when you lightly tap on them with the tip of a finger.
- Let the shells cool completely to room temperature before assembling them, about an hour.
- To assemble the macarons: Take the pâtes de fruits out of the refrigerator. Pull the mixture out of the baking dish using the overhanging wax paper and set over a cutting board. Detail about 28 small, thin squares of pâtes de fruits: each piece should be about 0.4-in cm) square and 0.2-in (0.5 cm) thick. Cut the rest of the pâtes de fruits into bite-sized cubes and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator to enjoy later.
- Pair same-sized shells together and set them side by side on a work surface. Transfer the honey orange filling to a pastry bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe some filling over half of the shells. Tuck a tiny piece of honeycomb into the filling of each macaron, if using. Close the macarons, gently pressing the second shell over the filling.
- Store the assembled Strawberry Rhubarb French Macarons in an airtight container and refrigerate overnight before indulging.
- Always bring these Strawberry Rhubarb French Macarons back to room temperature before serving.
- NOTE: This recipe makes about twice the amount of frosting you need to fill the macarons. Use the remaining frosting to garnish a cake or cupcakes, or freeze it in an airtight container until you make a new batch of macaron shells. Simply defrost the buttercream by placing the container in the fridge overnight, or an hour at room temperature. Whisk vigorously to soften before using.
Did you make this?
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Author: Marie Asselin
these macarons are perfect! and i love the strawberry and rhubarb flavour combination too. so perfect for the season. Xx