Almond Macaron Shells with Vanilla Buttercream

What you need

• 100 g egg whites, from about 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 105 g (1 cup) almond flour, finely ground
• 105 g (3/4 cup) powdered sugar, for the shells
• 50 g (1/4 cup) caster sugar
• 1 pinch cream of tartar
• 1 pinch salt
• gel food colouring, optional
• 60 g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
• 90 g (3/4 cup) powdered sugar, for the buttercream
• 1 tsp milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Line two baking sheets with parchment. Draw 3.5 cm (1 1/2 in) circles on the underside as a piping guide if wanted.

2. 2

   Sift the almond flour and the shell powdered sugar together twice. Throw away any coarse bits left in the sieve.

3. 3

   In a clean, grease-free bowl, whisk the whites on medium speed until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and salt.

4. 4

   Rain in the caster sugar a spoonful at a time, then raise the speed and beat until stiff and glossy, holding an upright peak, 6-8 min.

5. 5

   Beat in a little food colouring if using. The colour fades in the oven, so go a shade darker than the target.

6. 6

   Tip the almond mixture onto the whipped whites. Fold with a spatula, pressing the batter against the side of the bowl, until it falls off in a thick ribbon that sinks back into itself within about 10 seconds. This usually takes 50-70 folds.

7. 7

   Spoon the batter into a piping bag with a 1 cm plain tip. Hold it upright and pipe 3.5 cm (1 1/2 in) rounds, 3 cm apart.

8. 8

   Rap each sheet firmly on the counter 3-4 times to knock out air. Pop any surface bubbles with a toothpick.

9. 9

   Leave the shells uncovered until a skin forms and they no longer stick to a fingertip, 30-60 min.

10. 10

    Meanwhile, heat the oven to 150 °C (300 °F).

11. 11

    Bake one sheet at a time on the middle shelf until the shells have risen on ruffled feet and lift cleanly off the paper, 18-20 min.

12. 12

    Cool the shells completely on the sheet before peeling them off.

13. 13

    Beat the butter with the buttercream powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until pale and fluffy, 2-3 min.

14. 14

    Pair the shells by size. Pipe a small mound of buttercream onto half of them and press a second shell on top with a slight twist.

15. 15

    Chill the filled macarons in a closed box overnight, then bring back to room temperature before serving. The shells soften to a chewy centre.

Imported from iambaker.net. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.