My daughter is obsessed with the delicious and delicate flavor of macarons.  Notice I didn’t say macaroons, which are a tasty coconut treat.  No, I’m talking about the teeny little almond sandwich cookies with a cream filling.

Give this recipe a try and let me know what you think!

Raspberry Macarons

Making the Cookies:

Cookie Ingredients: 

2 C powdered sugar
1 C almond flour or almond meal
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
3 large egg whites, room temperature
Pinch cream of tartar
3 TBSP granulated sugar
1-2 TBSP raspberry puree or raspberry compote or jam

Equipment required: 

You will need a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch tip. If you don’t have one, you can either spoon round dollops of batter onto the baking sheet or make a pastry bag by snipping off one corner of a large resealable plastic freezer bag.

Cookie Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment  paper.
3. Put powdered sugar, almond flour, and salt into a food processor, pulsing several times. Continue for about 30 seconds or pulse until the ingredients are fine and well combined.
4. Using a flour sifter, sift the above ingredients into a large bowl. Set aside.
5. Place the 3 egg whites in the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until opaque and foamy, about 30 seconds. Now add a pinch of cream of tartar, increase the speed to medium high, continue to beat until the egg whites are white in color and hold the line of the whisk, about 1 minute.
6. Continue to beat, slowly adding the granulated sugar, and raspberry puree/compote until the sugar is combined, the peaks are stiff, and the whites are shiny, about 1 minute more. Do not over whip. Transfer the meringue to a large bowl.
7. Take a rubber spatula, and now gently fold the dry mixture with the egg whites in four different scoops until the dry ingredients are just combined.
8. Now you will need to spoon half of batter into pastry bag fitted with 1/2-inch plain round tip. Pipe batter onto each prepared sheet in 12 walnut-size mounds, spacing mounds apart because cookies will spread slightly.
9. Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until firm to touch in center and dry and cracked on top, about 7 minutes ….. pull the pan out and then rotate and bake for another 7 minutes.

-IMPORTANT Slide parchment with cookies onto work surface; cool cookies. Repeat with remaining batter, cooling sheets completely and lining with clean parchment for each batch.

Making the Raspberry Filling:

Filling ingredients: 

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 C powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1-1 1/2  TBSP raspberry puree/compote

Filling Directions: 

1. Put butter in a mixing bowl and cream until smooth.
2. Add the powdered sugar.  Beat until light and fluffy.
3. Add the vanilla and raspberry puree/compote.  Beat until combined.

 Assembly:

1. Match up each shell. (cookie)
2. Scoop the raspberry buttercream into a pastry bag with a #5 tip.
3. Pipe a small mound of the buttercream into the center of the shell
4. Sandwich each shell with its other half.
5. Do this for all the shells.

TIP: If you keep your raspberry macarons in the refrigerator, their flavor will increase and develop.

Still hungry for more?  Try these vanilla-filled blueberry macarons.  Talk about yummy!