Raspberries and cream macarons

Did you guys know that there is an international day about pretty much everything?! There is even an international Yorkshire pudding day which I guess for the Northerners is just another day! As today is international raspberries and cream day I thought I would honour this day by making some very decadent raspberries and cream French macarons.   But let’s get real here. Everyone, absolutely everyone is terrified of making them at home. They are at times tricky but are you really going to let a glorified cookie win? Having been a professional pastry chef for the last 8 years I can honestly tell you that I have been defeated enough times to now being confident in my macaron skills. For the filling I will be using a vanilla whipping ganache which is nothing more than a looser ganache that you can whip! A wonderfully acidic raspberry coulis will also go in the middle giving the macarons a much needed tanginess.

Ingredients for raspberries and cream macarons

• Egg whites: Let’s talk egg whites! Recipes like macarons really need to be as precise as possible and for that reason I mention the exact weight. Three medium eggs should give you around 90g of egg whites. Make sure that your egg whites are at room temperature.
• Caster sugar: We will use caster sugar for our macarons as we don’t want big grains of sugar that will change the desired texture.
• Almond powder: Ground almonds are what will give the structure and body to our macarons. Also what makes these delicious treats gluten free!
• Raspberry powder: Raspberry powder will not only flavour the macaron shells but give them a pretty pink colour too!
• Red gel colour: Red colour is optional for this recipe but it will give the macarons an even pinker colour.
• Double cream: We will use double cream at two stages in our recipe. To make the ganache we will use 60g of double cream and add 145g of cream at the end to loosen it. The ganache needs to chill in the fridge for at least 8 hours but ideally overnight. In this case good things do come to those who wait!
• White chocolate: Since ganache has only few ingredients, be sure to use the highest quality chocolate for the best flavour.
• Glucose: I know what you are thinking! Do I have to?! Yes you do! Glucose is very cheap, found in most big supermarkets and it is a pantry essential if you want to learn how to bake like a pro! Glucose when added to ganache helps to reduce available water by chemically bonding with the water making for a more stable and shiny ganache.
• Vanilla pod: You know by now that I have a vanilla pod addiction! The ganache is already decadent but the vanilla takes it to the next level.
• Raspberries: Fresh raspberries are the star of the macarons and will give a much needed tanginess to the filling!
• Raspberry liqueur: Raspberry liqueur will give a nice kick to the coulis. You can simply replace it with water or lemon juice if you don’t want to use alcohol.
• Icing sugar: Icing sugar will sweeten the raspberry coulis.
• Jam sugar: Jam sugar is basically caster sugar with pectin which will act as your thickening agent for your coulis. You can find it in all the big supermarkets.

Vanilla whipping ganache

• 60g double cream (1)
• 10g glucose
• 75g white chocolate
• 145g double cream (2)
• Seeds of ½ vanilla pod 

Raspberry coulis

• 200g raspberries
• 20g raspberry liqueur (optional)
• 10g icing sugar
• 20g jam sugar

Macaron shells (makes 40-44 shells/20-22 macarons)

• 110g almond powder
• 90g egg whites
• 200g caster sugar
• 10g raspberry powder
• Red gel colour (optional)

How to make the whipping ganache

1. In a heatproof bowl place white chocolate chopped in chunks, glucose and double cream (1).
2. Place in the microwave and heat until the chocolate is melted. Be careful to check every 20 seconds so that the chocolate will not burn!
3. Whisk the ganache until smooth and all the chocolate is incorporated.
4. Add the seeds of ½ vanilla pod.
5. Add the double cream (2) and mix with a spatula until all the cream is incorporated*.
6. Transfer to a container, cling film and chill for at least 8 hours before whipping.

How to make the raspberry coulis

1. In a food processor place raspberries, icing sugar and raspberry liqueur if using, otherwise replace with water.
2. Blitz until the raspberries are very smooth.
3. Tip the mixture in a small pan and simmer over medium heat, add the jam sugar and cook for 3 minutes or until the coulis is slightly thickened.
4. Carefully transfer to a heatproof container and leave to cool at room temperature before transferring to the fridge. 

How to make the macaron shells

1. Preheat oven to 150°C fan. Spay two baking trays with non stick spray and line with parchment paper.
2. Place sugar, egg whites and raspberry powder in a heatproof bowl over a double boiler. Using a plastic spatula mix gradually until sugar has dissolved and the mixture reaches 55°C-58°C.*
3. When the mix reaches the desired temperature, pour the mix in a standing mixer using the whisk attachment making sure no water gets into the bowl*. Whisk first on medium and then on full power.
4. Half way through whisking and when the meringue is almost cold, add the desired amount of red colour if using.
5. When your meringue is cold and fluffy add your almonds to the mix keeping the whisk attached no need to change to a paddle.
6. It is important not to over-mix the batter – it should fall in a thick ribbon from the whisk. The ribbon should also fade back into the batter within about 30 seconds – if it does not, whip slowly for a few more seconds.
7. Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a large round nozzle number 12. Hold the bag vertically to the tray, with the nozzle about 1cm from it. Pipe rounds about 2.5cm in diameter onto the prepared baking sheets. Make sure you leave about 3 cm gap between the macarons as they will slightly spread.
8. Tap the baking tray on a flat surface 5-8 times to make as flat as possible and release any air bubbles.
9. Leave to rest for 30 minutes, or until the macarons have developed a skin.
10. Place in the oven, baking one tray at a time*.Bake the macarons for 12-14 minutes (this needs to be precise, so you could test a macaron first). Immediately slide the parchment onto the work surface and cool for a few minutes before gently peeling the macarons off the paper.

Assemble the raspberries and cream macarons

1. In a standing or a handheld mixer with the whisk attached, whisk the whipping ganache until soft peaks.
2. Transfer the ganache to a piping bag fitted with a nozzle number 5/6.
3. Transfer the raspberry coulis in a piping bag and a cut a small hole.
4. Pipe the ganache around the macaron and close to the edge leaving some space in the middle for the coulis. Pipe a dollop of raspberry coulis in the middle. Top it with another macaron shell to create a sandwich. Repeat with remaining macaron shells, ganache and coulis.
5. Consume immediately or store in an airtight container and place in the fridge for up to two days.
6. You can also freeze the macaron sandwiches for up to one month.
7. Enjoy 🙂

Notes

• As you add the second part of the double cream you may notice that the mix is quite runny and loose. Do not fear as the whipping ganache will set in the fridge and later will be whipped!
• The temperature for the macarons needs to be as precise as possible to achieve the desired structure and consistency. If you don’t have a digital thermometer I would advise you to invest in one as it will be useful for any of your future bakes!
• Any water content that gets into your meringue will prevent you meringue from stiffening. Make sure all your equipment is clean and dry before you start your macarons.
• The source of heat in a conventional oven is stationary and tends to rise up from the bottom meaning that if you attempt to place two trays at the same time the macarons on the bottom will rise more and probably lose their shape. If you are using this recipe for a convection oven you can place both trays in at the same time as the heat is more even throughout.

Meringue kisses,
Athina  xx