Created by chef Christina Jones of Louisville’s The Brown Hotel, this dessert pays homage to the classic drink of the upcoming Kentucky Derby. It’s a Bluegrass State twist with a European twist and topped with a homemade bourbon mint buttercream frosting.
Mint Julep Macarons
Makes 2 dozen macarons (48 pieces)
Ingredients
130g almond meal
130g icing sugar
90g caster sugar
100g egg whites, room temperature
Green gel food coloring (preferably Americolor Avocado or Mint Green)
Directions
Preheat oven to 300°F (175°C). Sift together almond meal and icing sugar – you can blend the mixture in a food processor to smooth out any lumps, but it’s not necessary.
Place egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium speed until lightly frothy, slowly adding sugar until soft peaks form. Once you stop beating, add 2/3 of a drop of food coloring, then return to medium speed and continue beating until stiff peaks form (the meringue should remain stiff and rise up when you remove the mixer from the bowl).
Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and add about a third of the almond flour/icing sugar mixture and gently mix until combined. Slowly pour the remaining dry mixture into the meringue and gently mix until combined. Be careful not to overmix – this is the most important step. The batter should be the consistency of honey.
Place the macaron batter in a piping bag with a round piping nozzle (Wilton No. 12 will work) and place on a silicone or baking paper. Pipe the macarons using a piping template, being careful not to overfill. Bake the macarons on a countertop for 25-30 minutes, until a thin crust forms. Bake in the preheated oven for 14-16 minutes. Test for doneness by pressing lightly – the “feet” should not pull back and the crust should not wiggle. Bake one baking sheet at a time in the middle of the oven. Allow the crust to cool completely before filling.
Bourbon Mint Buttercream
Ingredients
275g sugar
59g water
85g room temperature egg whites
1 lb butter
Bourbon to taste
Peppermint extract to taste
Directions
Place sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Heat until syrup reaches 240 degrees using a candy thermometer. Once syrup reaches 220 degrees, begin beating egg whites in a stand mixer on medium speed, being careful not to overbeat. Once syrup reaches 240 degrees, turn off heat and let sit for one minute. With mixer still on medium speed, slowly pour syrup into egg whites.
Once all syrup is added, turn mixer to high speed and mix until bottom of bowl is cool. Turn mixer to low speed and slowly begin to add butter. Once all the butter has been added, turn the mixer to high speed to blend. Reduce speed and add bourbon and mint extract to taste (Chef Christina likes a little mint and lots of bourbon).
Pair the macaron shells by size and line them up for the buttercream filling. Pipe the buttercream and cover with the top macaron shell. At this point, roll the macarons in the bourbon mint julep for extra flavor and texture. Place the macarons in an airtight container in the freezer or refrigerator for 24 hours to mature. Let the macarons come to room temperature for 20-30 minutes before serving.
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