In a food processor, combine almond flour, powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Most almond flour will say that it is "finely ground" or "super fine" on the bag but running it all through the food processor will ensure that it is all as finely ground as possible. This is important for the macaron batter. Mix it on a low speed for about a minute then sift it using a fine mesh flour sieve over a large bowl
In another bowl, separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Discard the egg yolks.
Using an electric hand mixer, mix the egg whites with the other 1/2 teaspoon of salt until soft peaks begin to form. Slowly add in the granulated sugar a little at a time.
Stir in the vanilla extract and gel food coloring until desired color is achieved. Keep beating the mixture with the electric mixer until you get stiff peaks. It should be fairly thick, like marshmallow fluff.
Stir in about ⅓ of the almond flour mixture at a time to the beaten egg white mixture and gently fold it in until combined. The process of folding isn't like stirring. You take a rubber spatula and go around the inside edge of the bowl and then straight through the middle. Continue until there are no dry spots.
Repeat this process until you've incorporated all of the almond flour mixture into the egg white mixture. You want to get it to the "ribbon" stage. Basically, you should be able to draw a figure 8 shape with the batter without it falling from your spatula. Add more gel food coloring if necessary to achieve desired color.
Transfer the macaron batter into a piping bag fitted with a round tip (I used the Wilton 2A tip).
On a large baking sheet, place four dots of the macaron batter on each corner of the baking sheet. Then place a piece of parchment paper over the dots. This will help to keep the parchment paper from sliding all over the place while you're working.
Pipe the macaron batter onto the parchment paper in about 1½-inch circles leaving at least one-inch of room between the circles. Tap the baking sheet on a flat surface 5 times to release any air bubbles.
Let the macarons sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to 1 hour. It will vary depending on the humidity in your home but the tops should be firm and not sticky.
When ready, preheat the oven to 300˚F. Bake the macarons for about 17 minutes, until the "feet" or the bottoms of the macarons are well-risen and the macarons don’t stick to the parchment paper. Carefully transfer the baked macarons to a wire rack to cool completely before filling.
For the filling:
In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or using an electric hand mixer, cream the butter for 2-3 minutes or until smooth.
Scrape the sides of the bowl and add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time.
Add in the vanilla extract and 2 tbsp heavy cream and whisk on low until fully combined. Increase the speed to high and mix for an additional 1-2 minutes or until you get a “whipped” consistency. If necessary, add an additional tablespoon of heavy cream if frosting is too thick.
To assemble:
Add the frosting into a piping bag with the same round tip you used for the macarons. Flip over half of the macaron shells and pipe a generous amount of frosting on each.
Top with the remaining shells. Macarons are best after they have “matured” in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. However, you can eat them immediately.
Keep stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for best results. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Notes
You will need a piping bag with large circle tip (I used the Wilton 2A tip) for this recipe. It will make the process of creating the macaron shells so much faster and easier.
In addition, you want to use gel food coloring and not liquid food coloring. The liquid food coloring will disrupt the texture of the macaron batter and it won't turn out exactly right. I am using the Wilton Brand Teal Concentrated Gel Paste.
I use Bob's Red Mill Almond Flour. I can find that brand at most of my local grocery stores and it consistently works well in macaron recipes.
You can purchase baking mats that already have the little circles drawn on the mat to help guide you on exactly where to place the macaron batter.
Macarons can sometimes be a little fickle to make. The main points to remember when making them is to make sure your egg whites are at room temperature (not straight out of a cold fridge) and make sure the almond flour and powdered sugar are finely sifted and mixed well.
Macarons can be kept frozen in an airtight container for up to a month or kept in the refrigerator for a week.