Next to exotic fruits, rich chocolates, and the wacky flavor combinations of some bought macarons, raspberry almost sounds ordinary. You probably think you know what to expect from a raspberry macaron. I did too. I first put together this raspberry macaron recipe just because I thought the pink color of dried raspberries was pretty. Turns out the flavor was even prettier: stronger and fresher than any raspberry macaron I’d ever bought. Get this recipe right and I promise it will exceed every expectation.
The problem is getting it right though. For many desserts, little variations in technique affect presentation more than taste, but with macarons the taste experience depends on everything being perfect. And while your first attempt might get a little ‘foot’ and taste great, it does take some practice to get the texture perfect.
The Raspberry Shell
- 100g freeze dried raspberries (try find some that are bright and flavorful. I get mine from H. Schwarzenbach, which btw is a very pretty and old store if you ever find yourself wandering around Zurich)
- 1 quantity Italian Meringue Macaron Shell recipe
- Strong red food coloring (to enhance the shell color a little)
- Blend the dried raspberries to a powder
- Sift out the seeds to result in around 65g of fine raspberry powder
- Make the macaron shells according to this recipe, exchanging 8g of the ground almonds with 15g powdered sifted raspberry
The Raspberry Filling
- 100g good quality white chocolate
- 130g double/heavy cream
- The remaining 50g of dried powdered sifted raspberry
- Chop the chocolate and place in a heatproof bowl
- Heat the cream in a saucepan until near boiling and pour over the chocolate
- Stir the chocolate ganache until smooth
- Stir through the powdered sifted raspberry
- Allow to cool then refrigerate for 2 hours until firm
- Pipe filling between pairs of macaron shells
- Refrigerate overnight. Macarons can be eaten right away but most variations are better after a night in the fridge. The thicker the filling the more necessary it is to allow the macarons time to rest. This allows both the flavor and the texture of the filling and shell to fuse together.
