Strawberry Macarons

For the Shell

1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites on low speed until they become frothy using a hand or stand mixer. On medium speed, add in the cream of tartar.
3. On medium-high speed, add in the granulated sugar 1-2 tablespoons at a time until all of it is incorporated. Continue mixing on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
4. Using a fine mesh sieve, sift in the almond flour and powdered sugar. Discard any large lumps. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg white mixture by making a "J shape" with your spatula. Once all of the dry ingredients have been incorporated, add in the gel food coloring, if using.
5. Continue to fold the meringue, smushing the batter against the sides of the bowl to deflate it slightly. Test the meringue by drawing a figure 8 with the batter. If the stream of meringue breaks while drawing the 8, continue to smush-and-fold the meringue a few more times. When the meringue flows smoothly, transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a round tip(Wilton #10-12).
6. Pipe 1.5” macarons on the baking sheet. Make sure to hold the piping bag straight up and down so you don’t end up with lopsided macarons.
7. Allow the macarons to rest for 30 minutes or until a skin develops. When the macarons are ready to bake, you should be able to touch them gently without the meringue sticking to your finger.
8. While the macarons rest, preheat your oven to 325F. When the macarons have rested, bake them for 14 minutes, turning them halfway through. Once they have finished baking, allow them to cool fully on the tray.

Make the Filling

1. Pulse the freeze dried strawberries in the food processor until they are powder— about 2 minutes. Set aside.
2. Add water to a small saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Using a heatproof bowl placed over the saucepan,add in the egg whites and sugar.
3. Whisk continuously until the sugar has dissolved-- about 4 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and beat the eggs with a hand or stand mixer on high until stiff peaks form and the mixture is no longer warm-- about 10 minutes.
4. If using a stand mixer, switch to the paddle attachment. Add in the butter 1 tablespoon at a time, allowing it to fully incorporate before adding another piece.
5. Stir in the freeze dried strawberries until evenly distributed in the filling and transfer mixture to a piping bag. Store in the fridge until ready to use.

Assemble & Age

1. Place the macarons in similar sized pairs and pipe a small amount of filling onto the center of one of the macaronsin each pair. Press the second macaron onto the first gently until the filling gets to their edges.
2. Melt the white chocolate wafers according to the package directions and drizzle it over the macarons. Decoratewith sprinkles, if desired.
3. Once the chocolate hardens, place the macarons in an airtight container and store them overnight in the fridge.
4. Before serving, bring them to room temperature.