Raspberry Macarons with a Buttercream Filling

Weekends are great macaron making days. Laid-back, relaxed and stress-free. I love taking my time with them, the repetitive motions are super therapeutic and soothing.

This a a classic macaron flavour, with a fresh raspberry twist in the filling and two-toned shells. So patriotic and pretty!

I'll be doing the short version here, so for detailed step-by-step instructions and pictures of macaron technique, click here.

Macaron shells:

• 65g almond meal
• 80g icing sugar
• 40g caster sugar
• 50g egg whites, aged
• 5 drops red food colouring

Buttercream filling:

• 100g butter, softened to room temperature
• 150g icing sugar, sifted
• 10 fresh raspberries

Preheat oven to 160C and prepare 3 baking trays lined with silicon sheets.

Sift almond flour and icing sugar in a bowl. Beat room temperature egg whites and caster sugar till stiff peaks form. Add dry ingredients to meringue and mix well until batter is smooth and thick.

Divide batter into two bowls and tint one half with food colouring for a bright vibrant red. Leave the other half white.

Spoon the batter into a piping bag/gun with a 1/2-inch nozzle and pipe evenly onto the baking trays in 3cm globs, spaced about 4cm apart (the piped batter will spread about 1 cm). Let the piped batter dry till the skin forms and bake for 12 minutes.

To make the icing, beat butter till nice and smooth, then add icing sugar and beat till light and creamy. Add the raspberries and continue beating at high speed till the mixture is nice and smooth. Spoon into an icing bag and chill for 15 minutes in the fridge.

Pipe a hershey kiss-sized gob onto a white shell and sandwich with a red shell. Let sit in refrigerator overnight and warm up to room temperature before eating.

Other items on the Red, White and Ooohhh menu:

• Grilled red pepper and sundried tomato pasta
• Mozzarella and cherry tomato salad
• Boeuf bourguignon with mashed potatoes
• White chocolate and cherry cupcakes
• Red rubies in coconut milk
• Cream scones with homemade raspberry preserves and freshly made whipped cream