Macarons are the perfect treat to take your dessert skills from casual to sophisticated. If you're looking to level up this delicate dessert, whip up a batch infused with oolong using the recipe we've adapted below. Oolong tea gives the macarons a remarkable flavor complexity, which, coupled with the chewy texture, makes for a deliciously elegant dessert experience.
Oolong Macarons
Ingredients
Ganache Filling
- 1 tbsp oolong tea leaves - we recommend Tea Head's Raspberry Rose Oolong for this recipe!
- 1.75 oz. white couverture chocolate
- 3 tbsp heavy whipping cream
Shells
- 1.5 oz. almond flour
- 1/4 cup egg whites
- 2/3 cup icing sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
Directions
To begin, sift the almond flour and icing sugar together into a bowl. In an electric or stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on low speed until they become foamy. Gradually add in the granulated sugar while increasing the speed of the mixer. Keep beating the egg whites until they form medium-stiff peaks. Using a circular motion, gently fold in half of the almond flour mixture. Fold in the other half and keep mixing until the batter deflates slightly. The batter should create a ribbon that lasts about 5 seconds when the spatula is lifted.
Pour the batter into a piping bag fitted with a circular tip. Pipe circles of batter, 2 inches in diameter, on to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Leave about an inch of space between the circles of batter. Rap the bottom of the baking pan a few times on a counter or hard surface to flatten the circles and remove air bubbles. Then, let the circles of batter rest for 45 minutes before baking.
Preheat your oven to 250°F and bake the macarons for 24 minutes, rotating the tray at the 12 minute mark. Once they are finished baking, transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool.
Meanwhile, put together the white ganache filling. Start by melting the white chocolate, either in a double boiler or in 25 second intervals in the microwave. Pour the whipping cream into a sauce pan and bring it to a boil. Once it boils, add in the tea leaves and remove from heat. Cover the sauce pan and let the leaves steep for 5 minutes. Then, strain out the leaves and add the cream to the melted white chocolate, mixing until fully incorporated.
Place the white ganache into the fridge for a few minutes to set. Once the macarons are cool, pipe a dollop of white ganache onto half of the shells and sandwich two shells together. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe adapted from
