Raspberry Macarons
Delicate almond meringue shells sandwich a tangy raspberry buttercream filling. A French classic that looks impressive but is achievable with patience and precision.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Servings
- 12
- Calories
- 156
- Protein
- 3g
Ingredients
- 3 count large egg whites
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 100 g almond flour
- 100 g powdered sugar
- 15 g freeze-dried raspberries, crushed into powder
- 85 g unsalted butter, softened
- 100 g powdered sugar
- 50 g fresh raspberry puree (about 6 oz raspberries)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- 1
Set the oven to 300°F and wait until the indicator light or beep tells you it has finished heating, about 10 minutes.
- 2
Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper by laying the parchment flat and smoothing it down so it lies completely flat with no wrinkles.
- 3
Pour the 3 egg whites into a very clean, dry mixing bowl — even a tiny drop of grease will prevent them from whipping up properly.
- 4
Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks that stand straight up when you lift the beaters, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- 5
Gradually sprinkle in the 100g granulated sugar while continuing to whip on medium-high speed, adding it in 4 or 5 pinches over 1 minute, until the meringue looks glossy and thick like shaving cream.
- 6
Sift the 100g almond flour, 100g powdered sugar, and 15g raspberry powder together into a separate bowl by pushing them through a fine-mesh sieve with the back of a spoon, about 1 minute.
- 7
Pour the sifted mixture on top of the meringue, then use a rubber spatula to lift meringue from the bottom of the bowl up and over the dry mixture; rotate the bowl one-quarter turn and repeat until no dry streaks remain, about 1 minute.
- 8
Spoon the macaron batter into a piping bag fitted with a round tip (about 1/2-inch diameter), filling it halfway so the bag is not too full to control.
- 9
Hold the piping bag straight up about 1/2 inch above a parchment-lined baking sheet and squeeze gently to pipe a dome of batter onto the paper; release the pressure and pull the bag away upward to stop the flow.
- 10
Repeat piping domes across both baking sheets, spacing each dome about 1 inch apart from its neighbors, until you have 24 domes total (about 12 domes per sheet).
- 11
Tap the bottom of each baking sheet firmly on the countertop 3 times to release any air bubbles trapped inside the macaron shells, which will help them bake evenly.
- 12
Let the piped macarons rest at room temperature, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes until the surface feels dry to a light touch and no longer sticks to your finger.
- 13
Place both baking sheets into the preheated 300°F oven on separate racks (one on the middle rack, one on the upper-middle rack) and bake for 15 minutes, until the shells look set and dry.
- 14
Remove both baking sheets from the oven and let them cool on a flat countertop for at least 5 minutes before attempting to lift the shells, so they harden and release from the parchment.
- 15
While the macarons cool, add 85g softened butter and 100g powdered sugar to a clean mixing bowl.
- 16
Using an electric mixer on medium speed, whip the butter and sugar together until the mixture looks pale, fluffy, and light (almost white), about 2 to 3 minutes.
- 17
Add 50g fresh raspberry puree (made by pressing raspberries through a fine-mesh sieve) and 0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract to the butter mixture.
- 18
Whip the filling on medium speed until the raspberry puree is fully blended in and the mixture looks uniformly light pink, about 30 seconds.
- 19
Gently peel or slide each cooled macaron shell off the parchment paper by lifting an edge and peeling downward; set the shells aside in pairs of similar size.
- 20
Spoon the raspberry buttercream filling into a piping bag fitted with a round tip, filling it halfway.
- 21
Flip one shell from each pair upside down (flat side up), and pipe a small mound of filling (about the size of a grape) onto the flat side of each shell.
- 22
Press the matching shell on top of the filling, flat side down, gently squeezing until the filling spreads to meet the edges of the top shell.
- 23
Repeat filling and sandwiching until all 12 macarons are assembled, then refrigerate them in an airtight container for at least 2 hours before serving, so the flavors meld and the shells soften slightly.
Tools you’ll need
- two large baking sheets
- parchment paper
- large mixing bowl
- electric mixer with whisk attachment
- fine-mesh sieve
- rubber spatula
- piping bag
- piping tip (round, 1/2-inch diameter)
- measuring spoons
- kitchen scale
- oven thermometer (optional but recommended)
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