240 g almond flour
240 g powdered sugar
50 g freeze dried strawberry powder
240 g egg whites, divided, at room temperature (about 7 egg whites)
1 cup granulated sugar
Red gel food coloring (optional)
For the filling choose one of Italian Meringue Buttercream flavored with vanilla, lemon flavored buttercream, or strawberry buttercream
Get Ready
Line 4 sheet pans with parchment and using a cookie cutter draw 1 ½ inch circles separated by an inch. Turn the parchment over so the ink doesn’t touch the cookies. (There are silicone mats with the circles already drawn available.)
Make a paste
Sift the almond flour, powdered sugar, and strawberry powder. If there are bits of almond flour that will not pass through the sieve, discard them. Whisk the almond flour, powdered sugar and cocoa until well mixed. Stir in half the egg whites (120 g) to form a uniform paste.
Make a Swiss meringue
Bring a pan of water to a simmer. Choose a bowl that fits over the pan without touching the water. Combine the remaining egg whites (120 g) and the granulated sugar in the bowl and heat while whisking over the simmering water until the mixture thickens and reaches 150° F.
Once the egg whites and sugar reach 150° F pour into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and beat until shiny and cooled. The bottom of the bowl should be cool to the touch. The meringue should form peaks that droop just a little.
Mix, pipe, and rest
Fold the meringue into the flour mixture in two additions. After the first addition add a small amount of red gel food coloring if desired. Continue stirring until a uniform mixture with the consistency of lava forms. After the second addition stir just until uniformly combined.
Fill a pastry bag fitted with a plain ½ inch tip with half the batter. Pipe inside the circles on the parchment. Refill the pastry bag and pipe the remaining batter.
Lift each pan 8 inches above the counter and let the pan fall to the counter several times. Repeat with the remaining pans. This is to release any air bubbles. Allow the pans to sit at room temperature for about an hour until a skin forms that is dry to touch.
Bake
Preheat the oven to 330° F. Bake one pan at a time for 6 minutes then turn the pan and bake for 6 more minutes or until the cookies are firm to touch. Bake the remaining pans of cookies.
Cool and fill
Cool completely on a rack. Pair similarly sized and shaped cookies. Pipe the filling onto the flat bottom of one cookie then gently press its mate on top. Repeat with the remaining cookies.
Store
Pack in an airtight container with layers separated by wax paper and refrigerate.
Adapted from the Chocolate Macaron recipe in Paul Hollywood’s Bake. See also the Macaron Troubleshooting guide from Wilton.
