we’ve officially arrived at the season of pink.
i never really loved the color, but now with two little girls, i’ve fully embraced it.
one is a faithful pink lover. one loves purple and pink. though these two girls couldn’t be more different.
one is a serious animal lover. can spout off random details about unusual creatures, what a pack of them is called, and how they attack their prey. she’s so smart and reads at an impressive level considering i never really taught her how. she desperately wants a puppy and incessantly wants to have long conversations about what color the puppy’s collar will be, needing to install a puppy door, and the benefits of different breeds. just no bulldogs. she’s reserved and a little shy. slightly stubborn, hates dresses, but is beautiful and dainty without even trying.
the other, littler sister is overflowing with love. always. she is quick to hug and say she loves me. she tells me i’m beautiful and she brushes my hair. she says she missed me when i return from the store. she has the world’s best laugh and is the pickiest eater. she loves chatting with new people and making friends. she loves her barbies, her baby dolls, and she can’t wait to have long hair. she would wear a princess dress everyday, has truly impressive style, and is a gorgeous child.
what a trip it is being their mother. seeing how personalities and genetics pitch and swirl around together to make such different people of the same gender. i love watching them together, especially when they are kind to each other. they have their moments of tension, usually the older with the younger, but there is such tenderness there. i hope and pray they grow in their friendship and faithfulness to each other. what a gift they are. to me. and to one another.
so today’s cookies, these raspberry macarons, are for these two little girls.
a delicate, chewy, crunchy shell of a cookie filled with a smooth, sweet, and slightly tangy raspberry buttercream. i’ve topped each one with a handmade edible gem. because it’s girly and all girly things need gemstones.
(i am perfecting and playing with the edible gems… once i’m at a really happy place with the recipe i’ll share it.)
whether you’re a fellow girl-mom or just an appreciator of pink… knock yourself out with these raspberry macarons this month. you can do it!!
a celebration of pink for february with these raspberry macarons! Click To Tweet
Raspberry Macarons
Ingredients
For Macarons:
- 125 grams almond flour
- 225 grams powdered sugar
- red food gel
- 4 egg whites
- 110 grams sugar
For Raspberry Buttercream:
- 1 cup butter softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup fresh raspberries
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Pulse almond flour and powdered sugar in a food processor or blender to combine well.
- Beat egg whites in a clean bowl of a stand mixer until foamy. While mixer is running, slowly add 110 grams regular sugar to eggs. Beat until stiff peaks. Fold in red gel food coloring to achieve a pink hue.
- Remove bowl from stand mixer and fold in almond flour mixture in three batches. Continue to stir mixture with spatula, pressing mixture against the sides of the bowl to deflate egg whites a bit. Batter is ready when if you make a figure 8 in batter, it slumps slowly back together and flows a bit like lava.
- Transfer mixture to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe round circles of batter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Try to make them the same size. (there are templates you can place under your parchment to make sure they're the right size and spaced out far enough from each other... as i too often do with too many things, i just eyeballed it.)
- Once the tray is full, take out any aggression by banging the tray on the counter a few times to knock out bubbles and flatten batter circles. Allow trays to sit for 30 minutes or until batter is dry to the touch. This forms a skin on the surface of the macarons. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 330°.
- Bake macarons at 330° for 9-13 minutes, or until they are just barely browning on the bottoms. Allow them to cool completely.
To Make Raspberry Buttercream:
- Beat softened butter for about 3 minutes or until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and beat until combined. Add raspberries, cream, vanilla, and salt to mixture; beat for about 5 minutes on medium speed. Mix buttercream with a spatula or wooden spoon to incorporate air bubbles and make a smooth buttercream.
- Transfer to a piping bag and pipe Raspberry Buttercream onto a macaron half; top with another macaron half to make a sandwich. Store in fridge for a few days or in the freezer for even longer.
