Raspberry Macarons

Okay, so anyone who knows me remotely well knows that I'm a little bit of a foodie. I'm not really a "restaurant foodie". I'm what (I refer to as) a "cooking foodie". That means that I love to cook. I love to cook easy things, difficult things, weird things, ethnic things, etc. Put it this way: If it's edible, I'll make an attempt to "re-create" it.

Lately, the thing that has been grabbing my culinary attention is the Macaron. Yes. I spelled it right. It is NOT Macaroon, as your spell checker will suggest. It is Macaron. The word macaron comes from the Italian "maccherone" and the Venetian "macarone" (meaning fine paste), from which macaroni is also derived. So, it's really an Italian cookie, perfected by the French. Seriously. They're ALL over France, including MacDonalds. I know. In the US, we get hash browns. They get pastries. As the French would say, pas juste!

Anyway, the recipe looks deceptively easy, right? But the trick to these delicious pastries is technique and baking skill. They're one of the most difficult things to bake, because they're just so temperamental! Over spring break, I'm going to attempt to create a successful batch of them. Oy vey, wish me luck. I have the feeling that my first few batches are going to end up in the trash. Macarons require finesse. If this goes well, I'll also document my foray into pâté. I have a great recipe but I think that I'll need to wait until summertime for that one.

Bon Appétit!

(Please note, they usually don't go on sticks. But aren't they so pretty?!?!)

Raspberry Mascarpone Macarons:

For the shells:
90 gr egg whites (use eggs whites that have been preferably left 3-5 days in the fridge)
25 gr granulated sugar
200 gr powdered sugar
110 gr almonds (slivered, blanched, sliced, whatever you like)
1 tablespoon cherry pink powdered food coloring

Prepare the macarons:
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites to a foam, (think bubble bath foam) gradually add the sugar until you obtain a glossy meringue (think shaving cream). Do not overbeat your meringue or it will be too dry. Place the powdered sugar and almonds and powdered color in a food processor and give them a good pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Add them to the meringue, give it a quick fold to break some of the air and then fold the mass carefully until you obtain a batter that falls back on itself after counting to 10. Give quick strokes at first to break the mass and slow down. The whole process should not take more than 50 strokes. Test a small amount on a plate: if the tops flattens on its own you are good to go. If there is a small beak, give the batter a couple of turns.
Fill a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip (Ateco #807 or #809) with the batter and pipe small rounds (1.5 inches in diameter) onto parchment paper or silicone mats lined baking sheets. Let the macarons sit out for 30 minutes to an hour to harden their shells a bit. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 280F. When ready, bake for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on their size. Let cool. Once baked and if you are not using them right away, store them in an airtight container out of the fridge for a couple of days or in the freezer.

For the filling:
4 oz mascarpone, room temperature
2-3 tablespoon good quality raspberry preserves

In a small bowl, whisk together the mascarpone and preserves together until well incorporated. Fill a small piping bag with a large plain tip (Ateco #809) with it and pipe in the center of each shell. Let the shell mature at least 24 hours in the fridge so all the flavors have the chance to meld together