Rhubarb Rosewater Macarons Recipe

Macarons are delicate almond shells with a crispy exterior and a soft middle. They are light and can be filled with a million different flavours, from ganaches to buttercreams, jams, curds and custards. Whipped cream tends to be too wet for macaron fillings and can cause them to become soggy. Macarons are usually brightly coloured so I unconsciously associate them with spring. They are best when filled with something with a strong flavour, chocolate, lemon, etc. So when I had leftover jam from my Rhubarb Vanilla Layer Cake Recipe, I knew these would be the perfect vessel for this tangy yet delicious jam. The touch of rosewater in the buttercream really brings it all together.

Tell me more about these Rhubarb Rosewater Macarons!

Okay so I’ll break down this recipe into 4 simple steps;

–Macaron Shells: These are plain macaron shells coloured a deep pink (magenta) using the French Meringue Method. This is the type of meringue we create making these macarons. It means the egg whites are simply whipped up with caster sugar. There is no heating of the whites or sugar. When flavouring macarons it can be difficult to flavour the actual shells. They are such a delicate bake that it’s better to incorporate the flavours into the filing.

–Rhubarb Jam: A simple rhubarb jam made with just rhubarb, sugar and lemon juice.

–Rosewater Buttercream: This is an easy American style buttercream flavoured with rosewater.

–Filling and storing the macarons: In this step I will describe how to fill the macarons and how to store them correctly.

Macaron Shells

In a large mixing bowl, begin to whisk the egg whites until bubbles start to form. Slowly add the sugar in additions, whisking well after each addition. Continue whisking the meringue until stiff peaks form.

If your ground almonds are quite wet or doesn’t seem to be very fine you can quickly blitz them with the icing sugar in a food processor on the pulse setting for a few seconds. Regardless if you took this last step or not, you need to sieve the icing sugar and ground almonds a total of three times. This is to remove any lumps and any larger pieces of ground almonds. You can do this by using two bowls and sieving into each one or you can use two sheets of baking paper.

Add in the ground almond and icing sugar mix. Very carefully fold this into the egg whites, being mindful to avoid knocking out the air initially. About 10 folds such be sufficient for now.

Next, add in any food colouring if using and fold another 15-20 times. The mix should be at the “ribbon stage” (when you drop the mix off the spoon, it should fold in on itself still briefly). If you think the macaron mix is still a little too thick, wait 20-30 seconds before folding more, and only fold another 5-6 times and reassess. It’s much better to under mix these than over mix.

Next, transfer this mix to a large piping bag fitted with a 1mm round tip. Or just cut the bag very carefully to achieve a perfectly straight line that will result in a perfectly piped circle. (No pressure). I like to fill my piping bag with the tip in it, but before I have cut the piping bag. This prevents the batter from running out while you fill it.

Line your baking sheets with parchment paper and pipe your macarons with plenty of space in between each one. You can use a macaron template for this, simply place the macaron mat directly onto your baking tray, put a layer of parchment over it, pipe your macarons and then slide the mat out from underneath.

Bang the trays of macarons sharply down onto your counter to bust any large air bubbles left and to level them off to create a smooth surface.

Place your trays in the driest part of your kitchen and rest the macarons for anywhere between 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on how humid your kitchen is. You’re looking for the top to form a slight skin, you should be able to run your finger over them without sticking.

20 minutes before your macarons are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 150°c (300°f).

Place one (yes you have to bake one at a time, I’m sorry) tray in the sweet spot of your oven, In most ovens, this is the lower third of your oven.

Turn the oven temperature down to 120°c or 240°f and bake for 20-22 minutes. Halfway through baking, very quickly open the oven to turn them around and close quickly. You will know they are cooked if you can carefully lift a macaron from a tray and it fully peels off in one.

Allow to cool totally before removing from the tray.

Rhubarb Jam

This Rhubarb Jam starts out, unsurprisingly, with fresh rhubarb! Make sure you only use the stalks and discard the leaves immediately, the leaves are toxic and should not be eaten. Slice up about 150 grams of rhubarb (about one bunch for me) and place into a small saucepan. Add the sugar and lemon juice and cook on a medium heat for 10-15 minutes or until the rhubarb is fully soft and has cooked down to a puree. Make sure to keep stirring the jam every few minutes to prevent the bottom from burning. When the jam is ready, transfer to a small bowl or container and place cling film directly onto the surface of the jam to prevent a skin forming. Allow to cool fully before using.

Rosewater Buttercream

This is a simple Rosewater Buttercream Recipe, with just a few ingredients and easy steps. To begin, place the room temperature butter into a large mixing bowl. Beat this butter well with an electric whisk or the paddle attachment of a stand mixer until pale and creamy. Add in the icing sugar, vanilla, rosewater and milk and beat well again for 4-5 minutes.

Filling and Storing the Rhubarb Rosewater Macarons

Once the macarons and jam is cool, it’s time to fill the macarons. Line up the macarons and match each one with another that has a similar size and shape. Place the rosewater buttercream into a piping bag with a small star nozzle attached. Pipe a small ring around the outside of one half of each macaron. Spoon about 1 tsp of rhubarb jam into the middle of the buttercream. Top each one with a macaron to sandwich together.

To store these Rhubarb Rosewater Macarons, place them into an airtight container lined with baking paper. Place them in a single layer if possible, two layers at the very most. Place a layer of baking paper in between the layers if stacking. If they will be eaten the same day as filling, they can be left out at room temperature. To store them for longer, they can be placed in the airtight container into the fridge for up to 3 days. Macarons are best eaten at room temperature so remove them from the fridge 20 minutes before eating for best results.

Filled macarons can also be frozen to keep fresh for up to 3 months. Freeze on the same day as filling for best results. Place the macarons into a lined airtight container and place baking paper in between the layers and one on top. Seal carefully and place into an area of your freezer where they won’t get bashed around every time you take something out. Defrost at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

Any tips for making the perfect macaron?

Do not under whip the meringue or add the sugar too quickly. An underdeveloped meringue will result in your macaron feet being small or simply not there. Similarly, if you add the sugar too quickly the meringue will not be stable which will effect the rise at the bottom.

Do be aware of too much food colouring. Stick to gels if possible, but if using liquid food colouring be mindful of how much you add. Too much liquid will result in the batter being too runny and the macarons will spread.

Do not get impatient when you are resting the macarons. You need to wait until a thin skin forms on the top of the macaron and it has lost it’s shine. You should be able to lightly touch the macaron without it sticking to your finger. Even if you live in a super humid country where it takes 2-3 hours for the skin to form…. wait. Or just don’t be stubborn like me and only bake them on non- rainy days.

Do understand that how all ovens bake a little differently. Use an oven thermometer if possible to gauge an accurate reading of the temperature. Most ovens are a few degrees off and can play a big role in your macarons succeeding or failing. Also check where the heat is coming from in your oven. With most ovens, I would place my macarons in the lower half of the oven, however while using the oven I currently have, I noticed the fan blew over them too much when placed there. My oven doesn’t have the option to turn the fan off. I tried baking on the very top shelf and to my surprise they turned out perfect.

Now, I am by no means a macaron master, if you want to dive into more information on macarons I would highly advise you to check out Michelle’s macarons, her work is stunning and she has lots of key information for troubleshooting macaron recipes.

For more Gluten Free Recipes, check out my Gluten Free Category, here.

Have leftover Rhubarb Jam and don’t know what to do with it? Check out my Rhubarb Vanilla Layer Cake Recipe, here.

Want to fill your macarons with something else? Check out my French Macarons with Chocolate Ganache Recipe, here.