This Raspberry Macarons Recipe is the perfect treat for Valentine’s Day or any time you are craving a fancy dessert. Delicate macaron cookies filled with raspberry buttercream.
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Homemade Macaron Cookies
What Are Macarons? Macarons are a meringue style sandwich cookie filled with buttercream, jam or chocolate.
Are Macarons Difficult To Make? Macarons are fussy. This is the reason for measured ingredients. Macarons are one of those things that take patience and practice.
What Is The Difference Between A Macaron And A Macaroon? Macarons are a delicate meringue cookie with filling. Macaroons are sweet chewy coconut cookies.
These Raspberry Macarons are your typical delicate meringue cookies filled with a mild raspberry buttercream. Before getting started, be sure to look over all of the process photos to get an idea of the textures and consistencies. Also, don’t skip the tips listed below. And if this is your first time making macarons, don’t expect perfection. Just keep practicing and you will achieve those picture perfect cookies worthy of Paris.
Tips For Making Macarons:
- Macarons are very finicky! It takes lots of practice to achieve perfect looking macarons– if you don’t succeed at first, try again!
- It helps to measure out all of your ingredients before you begin– that will ensure the meringue doesn’t dry out too much.
- You must use weight measurements for macarons– volume is not a reliable measuring technique for such difficult cookies.
- Adding 1/8th teaspoon cream of tartar to the egg white mixture in step 5 can help stabilize the egg whites and ensure your macarons turn out perfectly!
- Using an oven thermometer is critical! Even a 10 degree difference can have a substantial impact on macarons– don’t trust your oven to preheat to the correct temperature. My oven runs too hot so I set the temperature to 315F and it naturally rises to 325F.
Ingredient Notes:
- Egg whites are the base of the meringue– they do not have to be at room temperature for this recipe but they must be free of any water or egg yolks.
- Granulated sugar stabilizes the meringue and adds a bit of sweetness. Superfine or caster sugar also works well in macarons.
- You must use gel food coloring if you want to dye macarons– liquid coloring adds additional water that can destabilize the egg whites and result in cracked macarons. I use Wilton brand but Americolor is also great.
- Powdered sugar adds a bit of sweetness to the macaron shell, but it also makes a light and crisp shell. It also adds structure and sweetness to the raspberry buttercream.
- Almond flour is a key ingredient in macarons. I recommend a good quality, superfine almond flour such as Bob’s Red Mill.
- If you have vanilla bean powder on hand, a little bit goes a long way! My preferred brand is Neilson Massey. If you don’t have vanilla bean powder, just leave it out– don’t substitute vanilla extract.
- Butter is the base of the buttercream. Make sure it’s fully softened so you don’t end up with lumps in your buttercream.
- I like seedless raspberry jam because the seeds can block the piping tip, but either will work.
More Beautiful Dessert Recipes:
Classic Cream Puffs – Red Velvet Cupcakes – Caramel Pecan Cheesecake Cheese Ball – Homemade Rice Pudding – Baked Doughnuts
RASPBERRY MACARONS RECIPE
This Raspberry Macarons Recipe is the perfect treat for Valentine’s Day or any time you are craving a fancy dessert. Delicate macaron cookies filled with raspberry buttercream.
Ingredients
- Macaron Shells:
- 90 grams egg whites
- 90 grams granulated sugar
- Pink gel food coloring
- 95 grams powdered sugar
- 95 grams almond flour
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla bean powder
- Raspberry Buttercream:
- 3 tablespoons butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam
- 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Macaron Shells:
Line two baking sheets with silpat mats and set them aside.
Heat a small pot of water to a simmer and place a heatproof bowl on top, making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water.
Add the egg whites and granulated sugar to the bowl and whisk constantly for 2-3 minutes, or until the sugar has fully dissolved. Don’t stop whisking– you don’t want to scramble the eggs!
Once the sugar has dissolved, transfer the egg white mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Be careful not to get any condensation from the bottom of the bowl into the egg whites.
Beat the egg whites on medium speed for 4-5 minutes or until they reach stiff peaks. Add 1-2 drops of pink gel food coloring and mix on low speed just until it is combined– no more than 30 seconds. It’s okay if the food coloring doesn’t fully incorporate yet.
Next add the powdered sugar, almond flour, and vanilla bean powder to a fine mesh sieve and sift them into the egg whites.
Gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg whites, making sure not to deflate the egg whites.
Once all of the dry ingredients have been incorporated, gently smush the meringue on the side of the bowl and then fold it back together. Continue smushing and folding 4-5 more times and see if the meringue has reached the “lava stage” You should be able to draw a figure 8 with the meringue in a slow, continuous stream. If the meringue doesn't flow smoothly, smush and fold it a few more times before testing again.
Once the meringue flows smoothly, transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip.
Pipe 1” macarons on the tray, making sure to pipe them at least 2” apart. Once you’ve finished the first tray, hold it a few inches off the counter and drop it straight down. Repeat 4-5 times, or until any large air bubbles have popped. Repeat step 10 with the second tray.
Set the macarons aside to rest at room temperature until they develop a skin– usually 25-30 minutes. The macarons are ready to bake when you can lightly tap the top without the meringue sticking to your finger.
While the macarons rest, preheat your oven to 325F. Make sure to use an oven thermometer– the oven should be exactly 325F when you bake the macarons. Adjust the temperature up or down as needed to achieve a true 325F.
Bake the macarons for 12-13 minutes, one tray at a time on the middle rack. If your oven cooks unevenly, turn the trays halfway through baking. Repeat with the second tray.
Allow the macarons to cool on the tray before removing them.
Raspberry Buttercream:
Add the butter and raspberry jam to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until combined.
With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the powdered sugar. Once all of the powdered sugar has been incorporated, scrape down the sides of the bowl and turn the mixer to medium-high speed. Beat until the buttercream becomes light and fluffy– about 45 seconds.
Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with your choice of tip.
Assembly:
Carefully remove the macarons from the trays and place them in similar sized pairs.
Pipe a small dollop of buttercream on the flat side of one macaron and place another macaron on top. Push the two gently together, just until the buttercream reaches the edges. Repeat with the remaining macarons.
Transfer the macarons to an airtight container and place them in the fridge to rest overnight. Bring to room temperature and enjoy.
Store macarons in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Notes
SEE TIPS & NOTES ON POST.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 24 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 96Total Fat 4gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 4mgSodium 19mgCarbohydrates 16gFiber 1gSugar 14gProtein 1g
Nutritional information on WonkyWonderful is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
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