French Macarons with Raspberry Buttercream

Step 1

Preheat oven to 150C (300F) degrees.

Step 2

Tip egg whites into bowl of electric mixer and beat at moderate speed until foamy. With the beater still going, add the salt and cream of tartar. Turn the speed to high and start adding the caster sugar in a tablespoon at a time and continue to beat until the sugar has dissolved (feel the mixture between your finger tips) and the mixture is stiff and glossy.

Step 3

Now add a few drops of food colouring (be aware the colour fades somewhat as it bakes, so you might want to make it stronger than you want), and beat to combine.

Step 4

Now put the almond flour and icing sugar into a food processor and pulse a few times to reduce the size of the almond grounds (this step isn't absolutely essential, but is useful if you want a smooth macaron).

Step 5

Sift the almond meal and icing sugar and salt, discarding any almond bits that are too big to pass through the sieve and stir to combine.

Step 6

Now sift half of the almond/sugar mix into the egg white mixture and fold until just combined.

Step 7

Then sift the remaining almond/sugar mix into the mixture and continue to fold, using a ‘fold-pat down’ motion through the middle of the mixture (I flatten the mixture around the sides of the bowl as I go to deflate the air in the mixture). Take it to a lava-like consistency where the dripping mixture settles slowly back into the mix in around 20-30 seconds. It’s better to slightly under-mix than over-mix, as the piping process continues to work the mixture.

Step 8

Put half the mixture at a time into a piping bag (use a half inch opening or tip) and pipe onto two trays lined with baking paper or silicone baking sheets. Hold the piping bag vertical over the tray about an inch and pipe the mixture out in one ‘dollop’ rather than a circular motion. Keep a good space between each mixture, as it will flatten out a little.

Step 9

Once done, rap trays 3 times on the bench firmly to bring any bubbles to the surface (this prevents cracking) and then pop any remaining bubbles with a toothpick.

Step 10

Leave the tray out to ‘dry’ for about 30-60 minutes – find a warm place if your kitchen is cold or drafty (this step is vital for the macarons to develop feet). The macarons are ready to bake when you can gently touch the mixture and it doesn’t stick to your finger.

Step 11

Bake one tray at a time in the oven for 20 minutes. To check whether they’re done, very lightly touch the top of a macaron – if it’s still wobbly or slides on the feet, give it another minute or two. They’re done when they feel firm and the feet themselves don’t compress when they are lightly touched. And, if you lift one of the macarons gently, they should just start to pull away from the paper without sticking.

Step 12

Take out and place tray on wire rack to cool and dry out further. Don’t take the macarons off the baking paper while they’re cooling, or they may stick.

Step 13

Once cool, remove macarons and, if not using immediately, store them carefully on baking paper in a sealed plastic container. The shells can be stored for several days.

Step 14

Take the raspberries and, using a silicon spatula, press them through a sieve in order to get a puree. Take out 3 tablespoons of puree and put aside.

Step 15

In a bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until pale and fluffy.

Step 16

Take out 2 tablespoons of icing sugar and put aside and, at low speed, add the rest a little at a time.

Step 17

Add the raspberry puree to the buttercream (in a thin steady stream), and beat at low speed until combined.

Step 18

Add the extra 2 tablespoons of icing sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat until combined (adding this extra sugar in at the end will bring the buttercream together if it has split).

Step 19

Transfer the buttercream to a small pastry bag, fitted with a small round tip.

Step 20

Pair up matching sized macaron shells. Pipe a small mound of filling onto the centre of the bottom of one of each pair, top with the other shell and press gently down.

Step 21

Place filled macarons in the fridge and cover lightly with plastic wrap – they are better if you leave them for at least a day as the texture becomes softer and the flavours amalgamate.

Step 22

If not eating right away, keep refrigerated.