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Strawberry Pink Peppercorn Macaron Have Deliciously Complex Flavors

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Strawberry Pink Peppercorn Macaron have strawberry and pink peppercorn in the shell. They have the flavor of pepper without the heat making their flavor delicate and delicious.

This post is sponsored in conjunction with #SpringSweetsWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to help in the creation this recipe, but all opinions are mine.  Thank you for supporting the brands that support A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures.

Strawberry Pink Peppercorn Macaron have strawberry and pink peppercorn in the shell. They have the flavor of pepper without the heat making their flavor delicate and delicious.  #SpringSweetsWeek #macaronporn #macaronlove #pinkpeppercorns

 

You knew I had to make macaron for this event. It’s a signature for me. I have more macaron recipes on my blog than all other cookie recipes combined. To say I’m addicted is an understatement. They’re so much fun to make and so rewarding when they turn out as pretty as these.

 

I’ve only had pink peppercorn once before and that was in Orlando. They were on top of an appetizer we had. I knew exactly what they were before eating them but the other “foodies” at the table didn’t know what it was. Needless to say, I ate all servings of that appetizer because no one else really wanted them.

 

Strawberry Pink Peppercorn Macaron have strawberry and pink peppercorn in the shell. They have the flavor of pepper without the heat making their flavor delicate and delicious. #SpringSweetsWeek #macaronporn #macaronlove #pinkpeppercorns

 

What are pink peppercorns?

 

They are not peppercorns. Meaning they’re not from the piper negrum family that brings black, white, and green peppercorns. They’re actually the berry of a shrub or plant. The most common of them being the Peruvian peppertree. The Schinus molle tree is an evergreen that is in the same family as the cashew. So, these macaron are a double whammy for those with a tree nut allergy.

 

As if that wasn’t enough, in the 80’s the Food and Drug Administration banned the import of Brazilian peppercorns from France. The claim was that people who ate them had experienced similar symptoms of a nut allergy. But we don’t ban nuts. So, the French was like, they’re perfectly fine to eat! What’s up? The lobbied to get the ban overturned and eventually did. But the FDA still has not put them on the generally recognized as safe or GRAS list.

 

Strawberry Pink Peppercorn Macaron have strawberry and pink peppercorn in the shell. They have the flavor of pepper without the heat making their flavor delicate and delicious. #SpringSweetsWeek #macaronporn #macaronlove #pinkpeppercorns

 

They do not share any heat from their counterparts. Which is what I love about these strawberry pink peppercorn macaron. You can taste the sweetness of the strawberries and then there’s this pepper flavor, but there’s no heat from the pepper. None at all! It just tastes like black peppercorns smell. Which to me is weird, but delicious in these macaron.

 

But it also makes them delicate enough for sweet and savory dishes alike. Some say they have a fruity flavor to them. I did not taste that in these cookies. But then again, there’s strawberries in these strawberry pink peppercorn macaron so I’m not sure I would taste the berry flavor. Just saying.

 

Strawberry Pink Peppercorn Macaron have strawberry and pink peppercorn in the shell. They have the flavor of pepper without the heat making their flavor delicate and delicious. #SpringSweetsWeek #macaronporn #macaronlove #pinkpeppercorns

 

How do you make macaron?

 

I’ve talked about this in almost every macaron recipe. Most think of these as a unicorn; something that doesn’t really exist. But they do. And with a few key tips you can make them successfully, too. They’re not mythical. They’re not unicorns. You just have to understand humidity and how it affects the ingredients you’re baking with.

 

The success of these cookies depends on the amount of moisture in the ingredients and in your kitchen. If you’ve perused other macaron recipes, you will see that most of them have weight measurements for them. That’s because one cup of powdered sugar will weigh more in summer than in winter. All because of humidity. Controlling the humidity or understanding it will lead to success in making macaron.

 

Strawberry Pink Peppercorn Macaron have strawberry and pink peppercorn in the shell. They have the flavor of pepper without the heat making their flavor delicate and delicious. #SpringSweetsWeek #macaronporn #macaronlove #pinkpeppercorns

 

The success of making those epic feet require controlling the moisture. And mixing the macaronage successfully. For me, the best indication is the sheen of the batter. It starts out dull as you add the almond mix to the meringue. But as you continue to fold it the sheen changes. When it’s ready it will become shiny. I usually fold it a few more times to make sure the batter comes off the spatula in a thick stream. Most say lava. I think of conditioner.

 

Then there’s the drying of the shells. Once they’re piped they have to dry. When I make them in summer, I turn the vent on the stove to make sure the air circulates. For the feet to form, the tops have to be dry to the touch. It forms a skin on the cookie which forces the batter out of the bottom. This is how the feet form on these strawberry pink peppercorn macaron.

 

Strawberry Pink Peppercorn Macaron have strawberry and pink peppercorn in the shell. They have the flavor of pepper without the heat making their flavor delicate and delicious. #SpringSweetsWeek #macaronporn #macaronlove #pinkpeppercorns

 

I bake mine at 315 for 9 minutes, then I turn the pan around, and bake an additional 9 minutes. Then I do the wiggle test. That’s when I grab a shell and try to wiggle it back and forth. If it wiggles easily, I bake them for another 2 minutes. That usually does the trick, but sometimes they’re stubborn and I have to bake them a little more.

 

There’s a delicate balance between cooked and over cooked. Over cooked macaron are not chewy like they’re supposed to be. They’re crispy on top and sometimes hollow inside. Or they’re just too crunchy and not how macaron are supposed to taste. These strawberry pink peppercorn macaron are perfectly chewy and delicious. Sometimes it’s better to undercook than overcook.

 

Strawberry Pink Peppercorn Macaron have strawberry and pink peppercorn in the shell. They have the flavor of pepper without the heat making their flavor delicate and delicious. #SpringSweetsWeek #macaronporn #macaronlove #pinkpeppercorns

 

What to strawberry pink peppercorn macaron taste like?

 

Before you even take a bite, the aroma of pepper hits your nose. Your palate prepares to meet the heat. Then you take a bite and all the sweetness of the whipped white chocolate ganache hits your tongue. Then the hint of strawberry in the shells. Finally, the flavor of pepper hits your palate. But you notice there’s no heat with that pepper flavor. None. Whatsoever.

 

Then as you chew you notice the chewiness of these macaron. And how all the flavors meld together. The whipped white chocolate ganache tastes like milk to me. The sweetness with the hint of vanilla made me think of cereal milk, but not the fruit cereal milk I used in my cereal milk macaron. How many times can one person say cereal milk in a sentence?

Strawberry Pink Peppercorn Macaron have strawberry and pink peppercorn in the shell. They have the flavor of pepper without the heat making their flavor delicate and delicious. #SpringSweetsWeek #macaronporn #macaronlove #pinkpeppercorns

These are so delicious. I know I say that about almost all of my macaron, but these really are. The pink peppercorns really do bring all the flavors together making them delicate and delicious. I was afraid of using the pink peppercorns in macaron, but I’m totally glad I did. And I know I will plan on trying a savory macaron to highlight the pink peppercorn, too.

I have plenty of tips and tricks to make macaron successfully in my instructions. Many have commented on posts saying they had great success following my instructions. So, I challenge you to try to make them yourself! And if they don’t turn out, let me know. I’ve had almost every problem with mine and can help you with yours. They’re not as daunting as they seem.

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Strawberry Pink Peppercorn Macaron have strawberry and pink peppercorn in the shell. They have the flavor of pepper without the heat making their flavor delicate and delicious. #SpringSweetsWeek #macaronporn #macaronlove #pinkpeppercorns

Strawberry Pink Peppercorn Macaron

Cook Time: 18 minutes
Additional Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 48 minutes

Strawberry Pink Peppercorn Macaron have strawberry and pink peppercorn in the shell. They have the flavor of pepper without the heat making their flavor delicate and delicious.

Ingredients

For the macaron:

  • 4 ounces almond meal
  • 1 ounces freeze-dried strawberries
  • 1 tablespoon pink peppercorns
  • 7 ounces powdered sugar
  • 4 ounces egg white, room temperature
  • Pinch cream of tartar
  • 50 grams sugar

For the white chocolate ganache:

  • 12 ounces white baking chocolate
  • 1/2 cup whipping cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

For the macaron shells:

    1. Pulse the 7 ounces powdered sugar and 4 ounces almond flour together with the freeze-dried strawberries and pink peppercorns in a food processor to form a fine powder. Sift three times into a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
    2. Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer (or large, metal mixing bowl). Sprinkle the cream of tartar over the eggs and hand mix the two together with the whisk attachment for the stand mixer (or hand mixer).
      Fasten the whisk attachment and beat the mixture on medium speed until foamy. Slowly add the granulated sugar and continue to beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Increase the speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form.
    3. Add 1/3 of the almond mixture into the meringue and fold until incorporated. Continue folding and adding the almond mixture until all of it is incorporated into the meringue. The mixture should drip slowly off the spatula; like lava flowing. (Think conditioner dripping out of a bottle. That works for me.) The mixture will have a sheen to it when it’s ready to pipe.
    4. Transfer the batter to large piping bags fitted with a 1/2 inch tip and pipe 1 1/3 inch rounds onto a silpat covered baking sheet. There are several different templates out there. You can print mine out here.
    5. Preheat oven to 325.
    6. You’re going to LOVE this next part! Once all the batter has been piped or your sheets are full, grab the edges of the pan, secure the silpat with your thumbs (or any extra batter) and rap the pans on the counter. That’s right! You heard me! Bang them on the counter!! This releases any remaining air bubbles in the meringue. Continue rapping the sheets, turning occasionally, until no more air bubbles surface. If there are some stubborn ones still not popping, carefully pop them with the tip of a toothpick.
    7. Allow the macaron to rest on the counter for at least 30 minutes or more depending on the humidity level of your kitchen. If it’s a humid day, set them on the stove and turn the vent hood on to help the tops dry.
    8. Once they’ve rested and the tops are no longer sticky to the touch, bake at 325 for 7 to 9 minutes. Rotate the pans front to back and top to bottom and bake an additional 7 to 9 minutes.
    9. Do the wiggle test to see if the meringue is cooked; carefully grab the top of the shell and see if it moves easily from side to side when wiggled. This indicates that the meringue isn’t completely cooked.
    10. Continue to cook in 2 to 3 minutes intervals until they wiggle just slightly. They will continue to cook as they cool. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely before filling.

For the white chocolate ganache:

    1. Heat the whipping cream in a microwave safe bowl for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir the ganache and heat at 1-minute intervals until the chocolate melts completely. Using a whisk, stir in the vanilla and continue stirring the ganache until it’s smooth and creamy.
    2. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours or until cooled completely stirring occasionally.
    3. Place the chilled ganache in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on high with the whisk attachment 7 to 10 minutes or until the ganache forms stiff peaks.

For assembly:

    1. Put the ganache frosting in a piping bag and pipe onto half the shells. Top with the remaining half. Refrigerate the cookies overnight before serving.

Nutrition Information

Yield

18

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 239Total Fat 15gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 8mgSodium 17mgCarbohydrates 21gFiber 4gSugar 14gProtein 5g

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14 Comments

  1. You are macaron queen! Love all your macarons, and this one especially. What a lovely flavor combination. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

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