This month those juicy, fabulous and fruity Mactweets sisters Jamie and Deeba threw out the task of creating a macaron with a fruit theme. We have a garden of ripening fruit here so there’s no lack of inspiration outside my door. However, years ago shortly after arriving in Germany, somewhere in the Alps I had my first taste of Rote Grütze and it blew my mind. This mixed berry concoction was served with vanilla sauce. Since that first taste, I’ve always wanted to make it myself and a perfect opportunity presented itself via Mactweets.
A blend of seasonal red berries cooked into a thick sauce, Rote Grütze is a delicious treat originating in north Germany and Scandinavian countries. The translation means Red Grits or Red Porridge because the original recipe contained sago, a thickening agent.
This treat is normally served with either vanilla sauce, vanilla ice cream, topped with whipped cream or sometimes mixed into yogurt. It was time Vanilla and Rote Grütze flavors were brought together for a macaron.
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| Skiing somewhere in the German alps – maybe Garmisch-Partenkirchen? |
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| A break from riding in the alps somewhere |
After a long day on the slopes or hours on a bike, many times freezing cold from the crisp alps air (in June or January), there is nothing like a cozy dining room with a warm fire, good food, some brandy and this delicious dessert.
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| Give me some Rote Grütze NOW or I will go all ninja on your @ss! |
The shells did not come out perfect. The idea was to pipe them bigger than usual hoping a larger size would help contain the thick berry mixture as Rote Grütze is a bit unwieldy for a macaron filling. This was a good call for the filling but the macs suffered. Unfortunately the resulting odd shaped shells had undesirable feet for a macaron or a snowboard. However, they tasted great. Rote Grütze itself is not too sweet and a bit tangy. The smooth flavor of the vanilla shells and added sweetness balanced the flavor of this macaron perfectly.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup each of mixed berries. I used 5 different varieties: red and black currents, red gooseberries, raspberries and (non berry) cherries totaling 2+1/2 cups.
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons sweet red wine
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 cup water
- Clean and de-stem the berries and pit the cherries.
- In a saucepan toss the cleaned fruit with the sugar and the wine. Cover and let sit at least an hour.
- Heat up the mixture until the berries start to break down. Skim any foam off of the top and discard.
- In a separate small dish, dissolve the cornstarch in the water. Add to the berry mixture whisking quickly to combine.
- When the Rote Grütze thickens remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
- Chill for several hours in the fridge before serving.
For the Vanilla Macaron Shells:
- 3 egg whites – aged at least 2 days. Let them sit out on the counter uncovered.
- 25-50 grams of fine granulated sugar
- 200 grams of powdered sugar (minus 2 tablespoons)
- 110 Grams of almond flour*
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Sift the powdered sugar and almond flour together or pulse them together briefly in a food processor. Make sure there are no large pieces and set aside.
- Whip the egg whites. When they start to get foamy, slowly add the sugar. Continue whipping until you can turn the bowl upside down and nothing slides out. (I also add a pinch each of salt and cream of tartar)
- Add the powdered sugar/almond mixture to the egg white mixture and fold, using quick strokes at first then slow down. No more than 50 strokes all together. The batter should have a “flowing like lava” consistency.
- Add the vanilla extract before the last couple of folds.
- Fill a Pastry bag and pipe circles onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or on a Silpat.
- Let the macarons dry for about one hour until they harden.
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F
- Bake for 18-20 minutes.
- I keep the oven door propped open with a dish towel or wooden spoon. Try to refrain from obsessive peeping to see if they get feet.
- Let cool completely and then match up the shells into pairs according to size and fill with Rote Grütze.
21 comments
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this recipe!!! I am a South African, (Cape Town to be exact) and was recently given Rote Grutze by my new German neighbours! Oh my word!! Deliciousness!! I am so pleased to finally have this recipe.Can't wait to make it!
Ha ha ha ha ha, Lora the macaron Ninja! What awesome photos 🙂 I love the sound of Rose Grutze. Unwieldly or not, the filling is so pretty against the white of the shells.
What a beautiful dessert! I love the filling and I could not wait to try! Berries say SUMMER =).
My, my…what a gorgeous deep red! I bet they were delicious, too 🙂
@Deeba – No Sumac, just a bad cut and paste job. Thanks for catching it! Welcome back dear Deeba!
Oooh I'm back again Lora. Did you add sumac to the shells? Was that for any particular reason or just for a flavour twist. Am very intrigued as it just might cut the sweetness a bit. I didn't notice you using that before…maybe I missed it?
I've never heard of this German dessert, but it's going to be a favourite with me the minute I get to tasting it! Sensational post dear Lora…the colours, the flavours, the memories, all woven in beautiful connect. Gorgeous way to get them into macarons…yum!
Oh the filling looks so luscious, and the white color is amazing! These look so incredible!
Frankly, I can't tell that the shells don't look perfect. Your macarons look so good!
The colour of the berry filling is so vibrant, it looks beautiful with the white vanilla macs. The combination sounds super yummy.
That filling is absolutely luscious! Gorgeous macs this month!
Wow! The macarons are gorgeous! 🙂
I've never heard of Rote Grütze but it does look mouth wateringly good! 🙂
love rote Grütze :-)) Your macarons look perfect!
This is the first time I've heard of your speciality of rote grütze: my goodness, all the red berries, including the red gooseberries, sound delicious. Don't be so hard on yourself on the mac shells – they look great!
That bike ride in the Alps looks so much fun and stunning views, too. Love this.
What a lovely treat. Your berry filling sounds delicious. I hope you have a great day. Blessings…Mary
They may not have come out with the perfect shape or feet but they certainly do look beautiful!
oh my. the red berry filling oozing out of the mac looks decandent! and what a great idea to pair red berries with vanilla!
What an exotic filling–rote grutze. Thanks for including the background of what it is. Always enjoy your cultural explanations (and am envious of your travel adventures!). The vanilla white and red filling are a pretty contrast. Your macaron shells still looked fine–they had feet! Fun post!
I've never heard of this type of compote before but after perusing the ingredients, it sounds like the perfect mac filling! Delicious combination!
Love the white mac shell and red fruity filling, looks gracious.