Vanilla Bean Macarons

Ingredients

Vanilla extract

1 teaspoon

Unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup

Vanilla bean, scraped

1

Granulated sugar

3/4 cup

Egg whites, room temperature

3

Powdered sugar

2 cups

Almond flour

1 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 the almond flour and 1 cup of powdered sugar. Process until the mixture is fine and well combined.
3. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites using an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the granulated sugar, continuing to beat until the mixture forms glossy, stiff peaks.
4. Gently fold in the almond flour mixture and the scraped seeds of the vanilla bean into the egg white mixture until the batter is smooth and shiny. This is the macaronage process, and it's crucial not to overmix at this stage.
5. Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe small, even circles onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving space between each for expansion.
6. Allow the macarons to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. This helps to form a 'skin' on the macarons, which gives them their characteristic texture and appearance.
7. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the macarons are set and can be easily removed from the parchment paper. Allow them to cool completely on the baking sheets.
8. While the macarons are cooling, prepare the filling. Beat the butter and remaining 1 cup of powdered sugar together until creamy. Stir in the vanilla extract.
9. Once the macarons are cooled, pipe a small amount of the vanilla filling onto the flat side of one macaron shell. Then, sandwich it with another shell. Repeat this with the remaining macarons and filling.