Macaroons Recipe (French Macarons with Vanilla Buttercream)

Preheat oven to 300 F (150 C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, Teflon sheet, or silicone mat.

Sift almond flour and powdered sugar together twice. Discard up to 2 tablespoons of chunky bits if needed.

In a clean bowl with whisk attachment, beat egg whites, granulated sugar, cream of tartar, and salt on medium speed until soft peaks form. Add gel food coloring at soft peak stage if using. Continue beating on medium until stiff peaks form (glossy meringue with sharp peaks).

Sift the almond flour mixture into the meringue. Fold with a silicone spatula until incorporated, then continue folding until batter flows and you can draw a figure eight. Batter is ready when small peaks settle back into the batter in about 10 seconds.

Transfer batter to a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe 1.5-inch rounds about 1 inch apart. Tap pans firmly several times to release air bubbles; pop larger bubbles with a toothpick if needed. Rest shells 15 minutes to form a skin.

Bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack for 15 to 18 minutes. Shells are done when firm and they do not wobble or slide when gently nudged. Cool completely before removing from the lining.

Whisk egg yolks with sugar until pale and mostly dissolved. Stir in milk. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until thick like pudding (about 5 minutes). Cool to room temperature.

Mix in softened butter in three batches until smooth. Add vanilla and mix until creamy. Transfer buttercream to a piping bag with a round tip.

Pair shells by size. Pipe filling onto the flat side of half the shells, then top with remaining shells and press lightly to spread filling to the edges. Refrigerate in an airtight container at least 24 hours to mature. Bring to room temp about 30 minutes before serving.