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Vanilla Bean and Raspberry Macarons

Macarons just make me happy. It appears I am not alone on this! They are delicate, a little crunchy and sweet. My niece and I love to make them. She feels like Fancy Nancy when they come out of the oven. Recently I made Vanilla Bean Macarons filled with a fresh raspberry buttercream.

Once you master the technique you can play around with so many flavor combinations. I am thinking about creating a  mango or pineapple macaron this week. Doesn’t that sound summery!

Keys to Macaron Success

You can Google how to make a macaron and find numerous how to videos. My personal tips for success are:

  • Timing – I time the beating of the eggs. I beat on low for 3 minuts, medium for 3 minutes and high for the final 3. That seems to produce a consistent macaron shell.
  • Line with parchment paper.
  • Bang – a good bang or two of the cookie sheet after you have piped them. Don’t be afraid!
  • Rest – let them rest and dry out for 30 minutes to 1 hour before baking.
Print
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Vanilla Bean and Raspberry Macarons


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 cup 100 gr powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons powdered almonds (about 2 ounces, 50 gr, sliced almonds, pulverized)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 2 large egg whites (at room temperature)
  • 5 tablespoons 65 gr granulated sugar
  • Buttercream
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup fresh raspberries
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


Instructions

  1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and have a pastry bag with a plain tip ready.
  2. Grind together the powdered sugar with the almond powder and cocoa so there are no lumps; use a blender or food processor since almond meal that you buy isn’t quite fine enough.Scrape 1 vanilla bean and add with flour mixture.
  3. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, place the egg whites in and beat at 4 for 3 minutes. Add sugar and cream of tartar and beat for 3 minutes at 6. Up to 8 and beat for 3 more minutes. Add in flavoring or gels and beat for 1 final minute. At this point you should have a dry meringue.
  4. Carefully fold the dry ingredients, in two batches, into the beaten egg whites with a flexible rubber spatula. When the mixture is just smooth and there are no streaks of egg white, stop folding and scrape the batter into the pastry bag (standing the bag in a tall glass helps if you’re alone).
  5. Pipe the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheets in 1-inch circles (about 1 tablespoon each of batter), evenly spaced one-inch apart.
  6. Rap the baking sheet a few times firmly on the counter top to flatten the macarons, then bake them for 15-18 minutes. Let cool completely then remove from baking sheet.

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