Macarons

1. Sift together almond meal and powdered sugar.
2. In a mixer with the wire attachment, whip egg whites on low-medium speed until foamy. Once foamy slowly add granulated sugar in a steady stream while mixer is on.
3. Scrap down sides of bowl to ensure all sugar is incorporated.
4. Add in the desired amount of red food coloring.
5. Turn mixer on high and whip egg whites until stiff glossy peaks form, careful not to over beat.
6. With a spatula, add 1/3 of dry ingredients at a time to egg whites and fold together gently. Continue with remaining dry ingredients until just combined. The batter should fall from the spatula in thick ribbons and resemble a slow lava-like flow.
7. Pipe macaron batter into small circles on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Carefully slam trays down on the counter to help release any air bubbles.
8. Let macarons sit on the counter for 30-45 min until a skin forms and the batter no longer sticks to your finger when touched.
9. While macarons are resting heat oven to 375 degrees F.
10. Bake one sheet at a time for 10-13 minutes. Tops of shells should be firm and the center should barely jiggle from the “feet”. Let cool on a wire rack in the pan for 2 minutes, then remove cookies from the pan and leave on rack until fully cooled.

Strawberry Buttercream

1. Add strawberry puree to small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally until the mixture has reduced by about 3TBS (10-15 min). Pour into small bowl and place in freezer or fridge until cold.
2. In a mixer, beat butter until fluffy and pale in color, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Mix in 1 cup powdered sugar, 3 TBS reduced and cooled strawberry puree, vanilla extract, and food coloring if using. Beat in remaining 1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar until combined. If needed, add additional 1/4 cup powdered sugar for desired consistency.