Raspberry Cheesecake Macarons

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Make the macaron shells: In a food processor, combine the powdered sugar, almond flour and freeze-dried raspberries and pulse 10 to 15 times. Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer or sifter into a medium-sized bowl. For the best results, you should sift the mixture a second time. Set aside.

2. Wash and dry your stand mixer bowl and whisk attachment. Gently rub with a slice of lemon and wipe dry again. This is to make sure there are no traces off at on your equipment, which would prevent the egg whites from rising into a meringue.

3. Add the egg whites and salt. Beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy, then slowly increase the speed to medium-high. Add the granulated sugar and beat until the mixture looks glossy and reaches stiff peaks. You can check whether the meringue has stiff peaks by removing the whisk from the mixer and dipping it into the meringue. Flip the whisk upside down: If the meringue points up, it is stiff; if it droops, it needs more mixing.

4. Mix in the food coloring. Add the almond flour mixture and use a silicone spatula to mix it into the meringue. Spread the mixture along the sides of the mixer bowl, then scrape it down and gently stir. You want to deflate the meringue and remove as much air as possible. Do this motion until your mixture moves around like lava. Test this by occasionally lifting up some of the batter and letting it drop down back into the bowl. It should drip down like a ribbon and then slowly incorporate back into the batter. If it just sits there or falls in clumps, mix longer.

5. Set aside for 30 minutes to allow any remaining air to leave the batter. Line three rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

6. Fit a round piping tip into a 16-inch (40-cm) piping bag and fill the bag halfway with the batter. Pipe rounds that are about 1½ inches (4 cm) wide and about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart onto the prepared baking sheets. Refill the bag as needed, but always make sure it is never more than halfway filled.

7. Tap the baking sheets against your counter to help release any remaining air bubbles. Use a toothpick to pop any air bubbles that you see rise up. If there are any points from the piping, you can use a wet finger to press it down sothe tops are flat.

8. Leave the sheets alone for at least 45 minutes to an hour, or until the tops are dry enough to touch without the batter sticking to your fingers. This is important to ensure you have smooth tops and develop proper feet.

9. Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C) and bake one sheet at a time for 10 minutes, turning the sheet halfway through. Check that the macarons are ready to be removed by testing whether a macaron can be lifted off the baking sheet without breaking. Check every minute if the macarons are not ready after the first 10 minutes.

10. Remove from the oven and leave the macarons on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Bake the remaining macarons, one sheet at a time, and let cool completely.

11. Make the filling: In the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and beat until it fully incorporates. Beat in the vanilla and salt until fully combined.

12. Fit another piping bag with a small tip, and fill with the cream cheese mixture. Flip half of the macarons bottom up and pipe a ring all around just inside the edge, leaving a small hole in the center. Fill the center with the raspberry jam.

13. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs over the cream cheese filling and raspberry jam. Top with the (right side up) remaining macaron shells.

14. Best stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to a month. Thaw in the refrigerator for 4 hours before serving.