French Macarons with buttercream filling

French Macarons

Ingredients:

200g powdered sugar

100g almond flour

120g egg whites

1/8 tsp salt

40g sifted, granulated sugar

food coloring 

Instructions:

Bring all ingredients to room temperature. Blend powdered sugar and almond flour in food processor for 30 seconds. Set aside. In another bowl, beat egg whites and salt on medium for 1 minute then high for 3 minutes. Gently fold in granulated sugar, 1 Tablespoon at a time. On low speed, beat in any coloring. Fold in powdered sugar mixture until combined. Let batter sit for 30 minutes. Fill piping bag with batter and pipe evenly sized 2-inch rounds onto silicone lined baking sheet. Let rounds sit for 45 minutes. Bake for 10 minutes in a 325 F oven. Cool. Sandwich two shells together with buttercream. 

Vanilla Buttercream

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

4 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup cream

2 tsp vanilla

Instructions:

Beat butter until creamy. Add sugar, cream and vanilla. Mix well.