With my gruelling school work, it’s been a while since I’ve really gotten a chance to cook anything for myself, let alone photograph and prepare a post.  Recently, my mum shared a great recipe for making macarons (yes, those delicious French treats Marie Antoinette indulged in).  While there are endless flavours and colours that can be created, the raspberry colour jumped at me.  Caught your attention?  Keep reading if you want to learn how to make these delectable treats!

You will need: (filling)

• 1 cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 tsp powdered pectin
• 3 cups raspberries
• 1/2 lemon

You will need: (macaron shells)

• 300g ground almonds
• 300g powdered sugar
• 110 aged egg whites
• 4.5g pink, fuchsia or rose food colouring
• 300g granulated sugar
• 75g mineral water
• 110g aged egg whites

How to:

• Start by making the jam. In a medium sauce pan, macerate raspberries with a potato masher. Alternatively, process in a food processor or blend in a blender and then heat up over medium heat. In a separate bowl, whisk together sugar and pectin and then add it to the raspberries. Squeeze in lemon juice for some tang and then allow to boil for two minutes. Strain the seeds out if desire, and then allow to cool in a bowl with plastic wrap pressed against the surface of the bowl until cooled
• Process powdered sugar and ground almonds in a stand mixer and sift into a large bowl.  Combine the other 110g of aged egg whites with the food colouring and add to the sifted almond flour and powered sugar
• In a sauce pan, combine water and sugar and bring it to a boil. In a stand mixer, start beating your egg whites on low speed. When your syrup reaches 115 C, turn the mixer to medium (6 on a kitchen aid) and whisk. When your syrup reaches 118 C, remove from heat immediately, increase the speed to medium high (or 8) and pour the syrup down the side of your mixing bowl bowl. Keep whisking until your mixing bowl is warm to the touch
• Pour merengue over the mixture from 2nd step.  Gently fold.
• Pipe circles of macaron batter on parchment paper 3/4 of an inch apart.  Rap baking sheets against counter, rotate by 90 degrees and wrap again.
• Preheat oven to 325 F and let macarons rest on the counter for at least 30 minutes.  Bake for 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes, remove from oven.
• Cool on wire rack and fill when cooled completely.
• ENJOY 🙂