Pink Peppercorn Macarons with Strawberry Sorbet

Pink Peppercorn Macarons

180 grams almond flour
240 grams powdered sugar
140 grams organic egg whites, aged
3 grams egg white powder
2 grams fine sea salt
80 grams sugar
a few drops of all natural red food coloring
Pink peppercorns, ground

Make sure that the egg whites have been separated from the egg yolks the night before. This bit of aging really makes a difference in the macaroons.

In a large bowl, sift together the almond flour, powdered sugar and sea salt. Set aside.

Whip the egg whites with the egg white powder until very fluffy, almost fully whipped. Start adding the vanilla sugar slowly while whipping. Whip to stiff peaks but not too much or the meringue will dry out. We want semi soft “ripples” still in the meringue. Add as much food coloring to the meringue as you like. I tend to like soft colors but some prefer really vibrant ones.

Add the meringue to the almond flour mixture and fold with a spatula until a shiny mass forms. We want to achieve a batter that makes ribbons. You might have to test it to see if it’s done. Pipe a small amount on your sheetpan. If it keeps a little bit of a top when piped, then you have to mix it a bit further, if it spreads really fast, you have gone too far and your macaroons will turn out flat.

When you have the right consistency, place the mass in a pastry bag with a number 5 tip and pipe small rounds onto sheetpans lined with parchment or silpat. While the tops are still wet, sprinkle the ground pink peppercorns on top. Let them dry at room temperature for at least 45 minutes to an hour.

Have the oven preheated to 350 degrees. Place one sheetpan in the oven at a time and reduce the temperature to 300 degrees. Bake for 10 minutes and rotate sheetpan and bake for another 10 minutes. Test to see if they are done by picking one up and seing if it still sticks to the paper or not.

Strawberry Sorbet

1 1/2 cups fresh strawberry puree (I didn’t strain it)
Juice of half a lemon
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 water

Make a syrup with the water and the sugar by quickly boiling it until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat right away. Let the syrup cool in the refrigerator. Add the strawberry puree and the lemon juice and churn in ice cream machine. Freeze.