ALMOND MACARON FILLING RECIPES

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a large mixing bowl and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
• Place the almond flour and powdered sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Cover and process for 1 minute, stopping once to scrape up the flour mixture from the bottom of the bowl. Sift the almond flour mixture, a little at a time, through a medium-mesh sieve into a medium bowl, pressing with the back of a spoon to pass through as much as possible. Discard any coarse almond flour that may be left in the sieve (up to 1 tablespoon).
• Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until frothy, about 1 minute. Gradually add the granulated sugar and beat on high speed until stiff and shiny, about 4 more minutes.
• Gently add the flour mixture to the egg whites. Fold the flour mixture into the egg whites by gently drawing a rubber spatula halfway through the mixture and fold until all flour mixture is incorporated, giving the bowl a quarter turn with each fold (about 50 strokes). Add the almond extract. Continue folding and turning, scraping down the bowl, until the batter is smooth and falls off the spatula in a thin flat ribbon, about 2 to 3 minutes. (You should have about 1 1/2 cups batter.)
• Transfer the mixture (batter will be thin) to a large decorating bag fitted with a large (about 1/4-inch) round tip. Pipe 1 1/4-inch circles 1 inch apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. Firmly tap the baking sheets five to eight times against the counter to release any air bubbles. Let stand for 30 to 45 minutes or until the tops of the cookies are no longer sticky to the touch.
• Preheat oven to 300°F. Bake about 18 minutes or until tops of cookies are set, shiny and rise 1/8-inch to form a "foot". Cool completely on cookie sheets on a wire rack. Carefully peel cookies off parchment paper.
• Spread Almond Butter Frosting onto bottoms of half of the cookies. Top with the remaining cookies, bottom sides down.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Sift confectioners' sugar into a bowl. Whisk in almonds; set aside. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats (such as Silpats), and mark circles using a 1 1/2-inch cutter dipped in flour.
• Put egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until foamy, then beat in salt. Beat in granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon at a time, until medium-soft peaks form. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.
• Using a rubber spatula, fold half the almond mixture into the egg white mixture until just incorporated. Fold in vanilla and remaining almond mixture until just incorporated. Firmly tap bottom of bowl on counter to eliminate air pockets.
• Transfer mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip (such as Ateco #806). Pipe mixture into marked circles on prepared baking sheets. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until macarons are slightly firm and can be gently lifted off parchment (bottoms will be dry), 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool on sheets 5 minutes. Transfer macarons on parchment to a wire rack; let cool completely.
• Spread 2 teaspoons buttercream on flat sides of half the macarons, then sandwich with remaining halves, keeping flat sides together. Refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes, before serving.