Maple Bacon Macarons

Ingredients

Almond flour

1 cup

Powdered sugar

1 3/4 cups, divided

Granulated sugar

1/2 cup

Egg whites

3 large, at room temperature

Maple extract

1 teaspoon

Crispy bacon

4 strips, cooked and crumbled

Unsalted butter

1/2 cup, softened

Maple syrup

1/4 cup

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a food processor, combine 1 cup of almond flour and 1 1/4 cups of powdered sugar. Process until finely ground and well blended. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Gradually add the granulated sugar, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form. The mixture should be glossy and hold its shape.
4. Gently fold in the almond flour mixture and maple extract with a spatula, taking care not to deflate the egg whites. The batter should be smooth and slightly runny.
5. Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe 1-inch circles onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving space between each macaron. Sprinkle half of the circles with the crumbled bacon.
6. Let the piped macarons sit at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes to form a skin.
7. Bake the macarons for 15-18 minutes, or until they are set and can be lifted easily from the parchment paper. Allow them to cool completely on the baking sheets.
8. While the macarons are baking, prepare the filling: In a medium bowl, beat the softened butter until creamy. Gradually add the remaining powdered sugar and maple syrup, beating until smooth and fluffy.
9. Once the macarons are cool, spread a generous amount of the maple buttercream filling on the flat side of a macaron without bacon. Top with a macaron with bacon, flat side down, creating a sandwich. Repeat with the remaining macarons.
10. For an extra touch, drizzle some maple syrup over the top of each macaron before serving.