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Raspberry French Macaron: Cooking in the Kitchen with Lillian Tse from Beyond Umami



A methodical step by step recipe with step by step images included to enable even you to make the elusive Raspberry French Macaroon!
Course Dessert
Cuisine French
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 40 macarons or 80 shells
Author Valerie Lugonja via Lillian Tse

Ingredients

Necessary Equipment and Materials:

  • A kitchen scale (Crucial for measuring to the exam gram.)
  • Food processor (For finely processing the almond meal and icing sugar.)
  • Fine mesh sifter
  • At least 2 Heavy commercial jelly roll pans (43 x 31 x 3 cm) (Helps to prevent macaron shells from burning.)
  • Stand mixer (A hand mixer can also be used.)
  • Piping bags
  • Large round piping tip (I use a Wilton 1A tip.)
  • Parchment paper or Silicon Mats (at least 3 silicon mats for a batch of macarons)
  • Toothpicks
  • Oven Thermometer
  • Candy Thermometer

Ingredients for the Shells:

  • 100 grams aged egg whites (2-3 days in airtight container at room temperature)
  • 225 grams powdered sugar (icing sugar)
  • 125 grams almond meal (almond flour)
  • 5 grams dehydrated egg white powder (albumen)
  • 28 grams extra fine berry sugar
  • Gel food colouring

Ingredients for Butter Cream:

  • 80 grams or 1/2 cup superfine berry sugar
  • 25 grams water
  • 1 whole egg
  • 2 egg yolks (I used 2 large yolks)
  • 180 grams butter , room temperature, cubed
  • 50 grams freeze dried raspberries, pulverized (I used ½ a bag or a good ¼ cup of pulverized dried berries)

Instructions

Instructions for Preparing the Ingredients:

  1. Process almond meal and icing sugar in food processor; sift blended almond/sugar mixture through fine mesh
  2. Place large pieces left in sieve through food processor again; repeat process

  3. Combine albumen and extra fine berry sugar into one bowl; mix well

  4. Prepare piping bag: add coupling, nozzle, clips and set in vase or tall vessel

  5. Prepare baking sheets by covering with silpat mats or parchment paper

Instructions for Making the Meringue:

  1. Attach whisk to stand-up mixer; place 100g aged whites into large bowl

  2. Whisk whites at low speed (2 on Kitchen Aid); when egg whites are foamy, add albumen and almond/sugar mixture  (mousse-like)

  3. Add two drops of gel colouring (note: colour of shells will lighten after baking); increase speed (4 on Kitchen Aid) and do not look away: beat egg whites until "soft peaks" or "the beak" forms (see NOTE on Meringue Test).

Instructions for Macaronage Process:

  1. Add 1/4 cup of almond/sugar mixture 6 different times through a sieve to meringue mixture; stir in a clockwise direction with a stiff rubber spatula around outside of mixture only the specified number of times  (see Macaronage Chart in NOTES)

  2. Repeat process 5 more times, until dry ingredients are used and ingredients leave visible ribbons of batter in bowl when falling back upon itself (magma-like)

  3. Transfer to piping bag with nozzle and size 2A tip being very careful to let the mixture tip into the piping bag, stirring it as little as possible to get it there

Instructions for Piping Macarons:

  1. Prepare baking sheets with silicon mats or parchment paper; pipe down onto the sheet with a quick twist to the right to finish piping each macaron shell
  2. Tamping: firmly rap each tray on counter to expel air bubbles inside shells immediately after piping each tray
  3. Use a toothpick to pop remaining air bubbles on surface of shells (poking is essential to avoid volcanoes instead of smooth macaron shells)

Instructions for Baking Shells:

  1. Rest shells for 30-45 minutes in draft-free area until skin forms on top of shell (dry to the touch): resting time varies depending upon humidity
  2. Pre-heat oven to 280F and bake for 19-20 minutes; pre-heat convection oven to 280F and bake for 12-15 minutes.
  3. When a firm crust forms on top and ruffled edge feet appear, macarons are done; remove from oven, cool
  4. Repeat until all trays are baked.

Instructions for Making the Raspberry Butter Cream:

  1. Boil sugar and water in small pot to 250F(120C) using a candy thermometer; do not stir

  2. Whisk eggs and yolks in medium bowl with electric mixer until thick and light in colour

  3. Once sugar mixture reaches 250F, reduce mixing speed to medium and pour syrup immediately into into egg mixture in thin stream

  4. Increase to higher whisking speed (8 on Kitchen Aid); continue whisking until mixture has cooled down completely and looks like a glossy meringue (about 15 minutes)

  5. With another electric mixer, cream then whisk butter until it thick and voluminous

  6. Add whisked butter, one tablespoon at a time, meringue cooled to 50F until buttercream is smooth; it may curdle, but keep whisking and it will come back together

  7. Add finely pulerized freeze dried raspberry; whisk to incorporate

  8. Transfer to piping bag fitted with nozzle and size ? tip

Instructions for Filling the Shells:

  1. Match shells by size; pipe small mound of buttercream onto middle of each half shell
  2. Top with the remaining shell; twist to secure shells to filling

Instructions for Storing Macarons:

  1. Store in airtight container in fridge up to 2 days; 2 hours before serving, remove from fridge as they are best at room temperature OR
  2. Freeze for up to 1 month; remove from freezer to fridge night prior to service and 2 hours before serving, remove from fridge as they are best at room temperature

  3. if thawing only a few from the freezer, place in sealed ziplock bag on plate, or sealed container on counter to come to room temperature before serving

Recipe Notes

Ingredient Preparation
If this is your first time, age 200 grams of whites in case you need to start again at the Meringue phase.
Consistency is Key
Measuring all ingredients exactly the same way every batch with a precise scale enables success and easier troubleshooting
Aging egg whites from fresh real eggs makes the best meringue
Storing the almond meal in fridge or freezer prevents it from going rancid; have at room temperature when using
Using albumen stabilizes the meringue
Meringue Test
Watch ingredients constantly after colour added; it will take approximately 2 minutes to get to "beak". Watch carefully for the mixture to change from foaminess to thickening. Stop machine. Test if meringue is at correct stage by tilting whisk back to look at the point of the mixture off the end of the beater: if a small peak forms on end of whisk, you are done. If ingredients flow from whisk back into bowl, continue whisking. Once "the beak" holds in position off the end of the whisk you have now made the "meringue" stage of the macaron. If the peak is firm like a stiff meringue, throw it out, and start again.
Lillian's Macaronage Chart
1st part = 16 turns
2nd part = 11 turns
3rd part = 14 turns
4th part = 11 turns
5th part = 11 turns
6th part = 23 turns
Macarons per Cookie Sheet
Try to pipe 30 shells on each sheet
Oven Temperature
Preheat oven from 270-295 degrees Fahrenheit: temperature may depend upon what type of oven you have, therefore, use an oven thermometer so you know what temperature your oven is really baking at
Piping Bag Tips
Put the tip into the piping bag.
Cut tip of piping bag a centimeter or two from end to accommodate tip (less in more)
Pull piping tip out; cut more of piping bag, if necessary
Replace tip; screw on nozzle[b] Clip end of bag above tip (to avoid oozing and spillage when filling)
Place bag in tall glass or vase
Fill; clip open end
When ready to use, unclip top and twist bag firmly with predominant hand (this hand will push out filling)[
Unclip bottom clip to enable flow; use other hand to guide tip
Once almost empty, lay piping bag on flat surface; using a D-shaped spatula, force all ingredients from top of bag to tip to avoid waste and continue until empty