Line sheets with silicon baking mats or parchment paper
Place templates under if using
Make the batter
Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment
Whip egg whites until frothy
Sprinkle in sugar a few tbsp at a time
Beat until thick and glossy with stiff-ish peaks
Whisk in vanilla and food coloring if using
Add the dry ingredients to the meringue
Macaronage: Fold and smash with a spatula or bowl scraper until you can form a ribbon or figure 8 with the batter.
It should flow like lava
Pipe the cookies
Transfer batter to a piping bag with an 3⁄8″ round tip (Ateco #804)
Pipe out cookies onto a sheet, pointing straight down and pulling away, trying to avoid piping big air bubbles
Tap the sheet to bring up any big air bubbles
Fix any visible bubbles by poking and swirling with a toothpick
Leave out until a dry shell forms on top (1–2 hours)
Bake
Bake at 350°F for 12–13 minutes
Place a baking sheet above the macarons to shield them from browning
Let cool completely on the sheet
Final Assembly
Match up 2 cookies of close size (use ugly ones for the bottoms)
Add filling to one side and squish together
Refrigerate (these are better the next day)
Freeze for long term storage
Let the macarons mature in the fridge for 12–24 hours
Transfer into a freezer bag in a single layer
Notes
If I remember correctly, 12 minutes was fine for parchment paper, but it’s too little time in my oven when using a
silicon mat. The cookies end up slightly underbaked and some of the centers will stick to the liner instead of themselves.