Strawberry and basil macarons.

It always fascinated me as to how 2 completely different flavors when melded together give the most exotic flavor combination.
I first tasted the combination of strawberries, basil and balsamic vinegar in an Italian Restaurant.
It came to me as a shock.
A delightful one.
The flavors bursting in my mouth was refreshing, sweet, tangy and with an aromatic hit of basil.
the fusion was gorgeous.

and so
being as macaron crazy as i am,
i wanted to bring that bursting flavor combination in a form of a macaron.
i decided to just utilize strawberry and basil and leave the balsamic for another adventurous day.
I flavored the shells with basil and filled them up with strawberry and basil buttercream.
here's the recipe.
Enjoy!


Strawberry and Basil macarons
Salts & Sweets

Makes about fifteen cookies

Macaron Batter:

1 cup (100 gr) powdered sugar ½ cup (50gr) almond meal
10 basil leaves finely chopped
2 large egg whites, at room temperature and aged
4 tablespoons (65 gr) granulated sugar
1/2 tsp green food colouring

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (150 degrees C).

2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and have a pastry bag with a plain tip (about 1/2-inch, 2 cm) ready.

3. Grind together the powdered sugar with the almond powder and basil leaves so there are no lumps; use a blender or food processor since almond meal that you buy isn't quite fine enough.

4. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they begin to rise and hold their shape. While whipping, beat in the granulated sugar until very stiff and firm, about 2 minutes. Test by inverting the bowl over your head if you dare! It should remain in the bowl and not on your head.

5. Carefully fold the dry ingredients, in two batches, into the beaten egg whites with a flexible rubber spatula. Add the food colouring with the second batch. When the mixture is just smooth and there are no streaks of egg white, stop folding. The batter should have a magma-like consistency. Scrape the batter into the pastry bag (standing the bag in a tall glass helps if you're alone).

6. Pipe the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheets in 1-inch (3 cm) circles (about 1 tablespoon each of batter), evenly spaced one-inch (3 cm) apart.

7. Rap the baking sheet a few times firmly on the counter top to flatten the macarons, then bake them for 15-18 minutes. Let cool completely then remove from baking sheet.

Strawberry basil buttercream:

250 g unsalted butter
1/2 cup icing sugar
7-10 basil leaves
5 strawberries, roughly diced
1 tsp vanilla

1. Blend the basil and strawberries in a food processor until a liquid mixture is formed.

2. Cream the butter in a bowl until light and fluffy.

3. Beat in the icing sugar and vanilla until incorporated.

4. Add in the strawberry mixture and beat until all ingredients are mixed.

Assembling:

Spread or pipe a bit of buttercream on the inside of the macaron shells then sandwich them together.

Let them stand at least one day before serving, to meld the flavors.

Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator, or freeze. If you freeze them, defrost them in the unopened container, to avoid condensation which will make the macarons soggy.