This recipe, created by Christina Jones, head pastry chef at The Brown Hotel in Louisville, honors a classic beverage associated with the upcoming Kentucky Derby. It features a Bluegrass State twist on a European delicacy with a homemade bourbon mint buttercream frosting.
Mint Julep Macarons
Yields 2 dozen macarons (48 shells)
Ingredients
- 130 grams almond flour
- 130 grams powdered sugar
- 90 grams extra fine granulated sugar
- 100 grams egg whites, at room temp
- Green gel food color, (Americolor avocado or mint green preferred)
Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Sift together the almond flour and powdered sugar – you can put this mix into a food processor to combine and remove any clumps, but it's not necessary.
In bowl of stand mixer, whisk egg whites on medium speed until light and foamy, slowly add the granulated sugar in a steady stream until soft peaks form. With mixer stopped add in 2/3 drops of gel food color and then return to medium speed and whisk to stiff peaks (when you pick the whisk out of the bowl the meringue should stay stiff and pointed upward without falling).
Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and add about 1/3 of the almond flour/powdered sugar mix and gently fold in. Slowly add the rest of the dry mix into the meringue, folding gently. Be careful not to overmix – this is the most important stage. The batter should be a honey-like consistency.
Place your macaron batter in a piping bag with a round piping tip (Wilton size 12 works perfectly), on Silpat or parchment paper with templates pipe macarons being careful not to overfill. Let macarons sit on counter on 25-30 minutes to form a skin. Place in preheated oven and bake for 14-16 minutes. You can test the doneness by gently pushing – the “feet” should not push back, and the shell should not be wobbly. Only bake one tray at a time, on the center rack. Let shells cool completely before filling.
Bourbon Mint Buttercream
Ingredients
- 275 grams sugar
- 59 grams water
- 85 grams egg whites at room temperature
- 1 pound butter
- Bourbon to taste
- Mint extract to taste
Directions
Place sugar and water in a small pot over medium high heat. Using a candy thermometer, heat until syrup reaches 240 degrees. Once the syrup reaches 220, start whisking the egg whites in stand mixer on medium, being careful not to over overmix. Once the syrup reaches 240 degrees, remove from heat and let rest for a minute. Slowly pour the syrup into the egg whites while mixer is still on medium speed. Once all the syrup is poured in, turn the mixer on high and whisk until the bottom of the bowl is cool. Turn the mixer on low and slowly start to add in butter. Once all the butter is added, turn the mixer on high to incorporate. Reduce speed and add bourbon and mint extract to taste (Chef Christina prefers a little mint and a lot of bourbon).
Match macarons shells by size and line up to fill with buttercream. After piping the buttercream, add the top shell. At this point, roll the macarons in Bourbon Barrel Foods Mint Julep Sugar to add some additional flavor and texture. Place the macarons in an airtight container and place in the freezer or refrigerator for 24 hours to mature. Bring to room temperature 20-30 minutes before serving.
