Special equipment:
food processor with blade attachment

Ingredients:
3⁄4 cup confectioner’s sugar
3⁄4 cup ground almonds
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
1⁄3 cup sugar
3–4 drops of pink food coloring

For the filling:
6oz (150g) mascarpone
2 tbsp good-quality seedless raspberry conserve

Method:
1 Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).

2 Line 2 baking sheets with wax paper. Draw 1 1⁄4in (3cm) circles with a pencil, leaving a 1 1⁄4in (3cm) gap between each. In a food processor, pulse the confectioner’s sugar and almonds until finely mixed and smooth.

3 In a bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Add the sugar, a little at a time, whisking well between each addition. Whisk in the food coloring.

4 Fold in the almond mixture a spoonful at a time, until just mixed. Transfer the mix to the piping bag. Holding the bag vertically, pipe meringue into the center of each circle.

5 Bake in the middle of the oven for 18–20 minutes until the surface is firm. Leave to cool on the sheets for 15–20 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

6 For the filling, beat the mascarpone and raspberry conserve until smooth and transfer to the (cleaned) piping bag used earlier, with the same nozzle.

7 Pipe a blob of the filling onto the flat side of half the macarons and sandwich together with the rest of the halves.

8 Serve the same day, or the macarons will go soft.

PREPARE AHEAD:
The unfilled shells can be stored for 3 days in an airtight container.

BAKER’S TIP:
The skill in making macarons comes in the technique, not in the proportions of the ingredients. Gentle folding, a heavy, flat baking sheet, and piping completely vertically downward should all help you to produce the perfect macaron.

Raspberry Macarons