Easter Egg Macarons

Instructions

1. If you have the time, age your egg whites for 24 hours in your refrigerator, and if not, allow them to come to almost room temp. on your counter. In a large bowl, sift together the almond flour and powdered sugar. In a stand mixer or using a handheld mixer, beat the egg whites until the beaters start leaving visible trails. Add the granulated sugar 1/3 at a time and continue beating until they hold stiff peaks. Pour the sifted powdered sugar and almond flour into the egg whites, and gently fold until the two are completely incorporated and the batter falls from your spatula in one long, thick string.
2. Prepare one to two baking sheets with parchment paper and print out this egg template at 50%-60% size to use as a guid. Fill a piping bag with your macaron batter and pipe your macarons onto the prepared baking sheets. Your macarons should smooth out within a few seconds of piping, otherwise they’re too thick and need to be folded longer. Once all the shells are piped, gently rap your baking sheet against your counter to release the air bubbles.
3. Allow the shells to dry for approximately 30 minutes or until a “skin” has developed. If you live in a humid climate like I do, you can help along this drying process by allowing your oven to heat for a few minutes (it should be warm but not hot) and using that to dry out your shells. Bake the shells for 12-14 minutes at 320F.
4. To make the royal icing, beat the water and meringue powder in a stand mixer until frothy. Add the powdered sugar and continue beating until you reach a 20 second consistency (meaning a spoonful of icing dropped back into the bowl takes approximately 20 seconds to fully reabsorb). Add a few drops of your favorite food gel colors, and swirl them together using a toothpick. Dip the cooled shells into the royal icing, allowing the excess to drip off before turning them right side up. Add additional drops of food coloring as needed.
5. Allow the royal icing to dry completely before filling with your choice of fillings (I used vanilla buttercream and lemon curd).