Raspberry Macarons Recipe

Course: cookie, Dessert

Cuisine: French

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 12

Rest Time: 25

Total Time: 1 7

Servings: macarons

Calories: 98kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

These delicate raspberry macarons are filled with a simple buttercream made with raspberry jam. Easy to make and perfectly-pink!

Print Recipe

US Customary - Metric

Equipment

Baking Sheet
Silpat Mat (optional)
Kitchen Scale (optional, but recommended!)
Stand Mixer
Fine-Mesh Sieve
Piping Tip Set
Oven Thermometer (optional, but recommended!)

Ingredients

For the Macaron Shell

3 large egg whites
½ cup granulated sugar
Gel food coloring pink*
⅘ cup powdered sugar
1 cup almond flour **
¼ teaspoon vanilla bean powder ***

For the Raspberry Filling

3 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature (⅜ stick)
2 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam
1¼ cups powdered sugar

Instructions

For the Macaron Shell

Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat mats.
Heat a small pot of simmering water over medium-low heat. Add the egg whites and granulated sugar to a heatproof bowl and set it over the simmering water.
3 large egg whites, ½ cup granulated sugar
Whisk constantly until the sugar has fully dissolved, about 2 minutes. 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.
Gel food coloring
Using a fine-mesh sieve, sift the powdered sugar, almond flour, and vanilla bean powder into the egg white mixture. Discard any large lumps; don’t force them through the sieve.
⅘ cup powdered sugar, 1 cup almond flour, ¼ teaspoon vanilla bean powder
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 to smush and fold the meringue a few times before testing to see if it has reached the Figure 8 stage. If you can draw a figure 8 with the meringue without the stream breaking, it’s ready to pipe.
Transfer the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip (I like a Wilton #10). Pipe 1-inch macaron shells onto the tray, making sure to pipe them at least 2 inches apart. Once you’ve finished piping the first tray, hold it a few inches off the counter and drop it straight down. Drop the tray another 5-6 times, or until it looks like any large air bubbles have popped. Repeat 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 325°F. Make sure to use an oven thermometer–the oven should be exactly 325°F when you bake the macarons. Adjust the temperature up or down as needed to achieve a true 325°F.
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.

For the 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.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam
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.
1¼ cups powdered sugar
Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with your choice of tip.

For 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 cure overnight. Bring to room temperature and enjoy.

Notes

*You must use gel food coloring if you want to dye these, because liquid coloring adds additional water that can destabilize the egg whites and result in cracked macarons. I’m using Wilton brand but Americolor is also great.

**Be sure to use superfine almond flour when making macarons. All-purpose flour will not give you the delicate texture you want.

***Use vanilla bean powder, not extract. This ingredient can be omitted--it just won't have any vanilla flavor.

Tips:

I highly recommend using a kitchen scale and gram measurements for this recipe since macarons are a pretty specific recipe. Please click on the "metric" button above (under the ingredients) to change to gram measurements.
Your oven must be at 325°F. I recommend using an oven thermometer!
I recommend making these macarons at least 12 hours before you plan to enjoy them so that they have time to age. Place them in the refrigerator.
The process of folding the dry ingredients into the meringue is one of the most important steps when making macarons. You should be able to draw a figure 8 with the meringue without the stream breaking. There are lots of great videos online if you aren’t 100% sure what the meringue should look like.
To get evenly round macarons, hold the piping bag perpendicular to the tray while you pipe the shells. Don’t try to draw a circle!
When they’re resting, the meringue shells are hardening up just a bit. That way, when they bake, the shells will have the perfect consistency and not spread out.
To avoid hollow shells, don’t over-mix the meringue, and always bake for the right amount of time!

Storage: Store raspberry macarons in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before enjoying cold or at room temperature.

Nutrition