bilberry & beetroot macarons.

Introducing a vibrant mix of purple macarons with a vivid magenta buttercream centre, coloured entirely with natural ingredients. These deliciously easy to make macarons are infused with bilberry powder to create a lush purple meringue shell, with a whipped vanilla and beetroot buttercream. After creating some tasty gluten free coconut pancakes earlier this year, I've teamed up again with Indigo Herbs to test out their Slow Dried Bilberry Powder and Beetroot Powder to add some purple pizazz to these sweet treats... and naturally too.

Shopping list.

(Make 12 medium or 24 mini macarons)
♥ Two egg whites, at room temperature
♥ 75g caster sugar
♥ 80g icing sugar, sieved
♥ 10g bilberry fruit powder
♥ 75g almonds, sieved until fine with lumps discarded

For the chocolate orange buttercream
♥ 100g unsalted butter, room temperature
♥ 200g icing sugar
♥ 2 tsp natural vanilla extract

♥ 10g beetroot powder

Step one. Use my step by step illustrated guide to create the macaron shells, adding the bilberry powder at the same time as the icing sugar. It should go a lovely glossy lilac colour with tiny purple specks, and then drizzle from the spatula like a ribbon.

 

Step two. Once the shells are ready and cooling, make the beetroot buttercream by combining the ingredients in a mixer and whisking together on a medium speed. As the beetroot powder goes in, the mix will go a lovely shade of pink to contract with the purple macaron shells.

Finally, twist together to make full macarons and enjoy!

Have you ever used natural food colourings such as fruit or vegetable powders in your baking? What would you recommend? I find these great in macarons as they blend with the icing sugar seamlessly. The flavours were sweet and berry-like, with the bilberry being closely related to a blueberry. The added vanilla turned the rich beetroot flavour into something a little sweeter too.

In collaboration with Indigo Herbs