French Macarons for Beginners - Vanilla Bean Macaron Recipe

So...I made a YouTube video on the French meringue method from my book! I had so many people asking me questions on how to bake them and how to make the filling, so I just figured it'd be easier to show you. Please check it out! I hope that you find this helpful. See below for written recipe as well!

Recipe (makes 15 completed macarons) Macaron shells: 70g almond flour 50g powdered sugar 52g egg whites 52g granulated sugar pinch of salt dash of vanilla bean paste Vanilla Bean Buttercream: 113g (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 39g almond (or any kind) milk 39g powdered sugar dash of vanilla bean paste 1. Weigh and sift 70g almond flour and 40g powdered sugar. Set aside. 2. Separate egg whites and reserve the yolks for creme brulee, pudding, etc. 3. Beat egg whites and granulated sugar on high for 6-8 min with a hand mixer, or 2-3 min with a stand mixer until it reaches stiff peaks. 4. Add your almond flour/powdered sugar mixture to the meringue along with a pinch of salt. 5. Add the vanilla bean paste and white food coloring. 6. Fold meringue with dry ingredients until the batter flows like lava or thick cake batter. Make sure to scrape sides and bottom of bowl. 7. Use your cup or mug to hold your piping bag, then unroll it and push it down with your hand. Pour in the batter with your spatula. 8. Roll up the sides of the piping bag and twist the top to ensure no batter will come out. 9. To pipe macarons, hold the piping bag with your dominant hand on top and your nondominant hand on the bottom. The top hand will be squeezing the bag, while the bottom will be guiding it. Squeeze using your top hand, and finish it off by flicking it to the side. 10. After piping, use your hand or countertop to hit the pan to get rid of air bubbles/flatten out any peaks. 11. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit (convection setting preferred). 12. Let macarons air dry for 55 min to 1 hr, depending on humidity, until they are matte and dry (a fan will speed up the process). 13. To make the buttercream, beat the room temperature butter (microwave for 18 seconds if straight from fridge) for 1-2 min until white and fluffy. 14. When the butter becomes white and fluffy, add in the almond milk and powdered sugar to absorb the liquid, then beat for a little to get it incorporated. 15. Once liquid is absorbed, beat on high for another 2 min. 16. Add in vanilla bean paste and give it one last mix. 17. Once the macarons are dry to the touch, they are ready to go in the oven. 18. Bake the macarons at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-14 min, depending on the strength of your oven. 19. After baking, let them cool for 15-20 min. 20. When the macarons are cool, take them off the pan by flipping over the silicon mat and gently popping them off. 21. Match up similar sized shells, and get them ready for filling. 22. Unroll the piping bag and scoop the buttercream inside. Twist the top to avoid spillage. 23. In a similar fashion as before, use your dominant hand at the top and nondominant at the bottom and grab a macaron shell, and pipe the filling in a circular motion. 24. Place the matching shell on top and gently twist to close the macaron. 25. Store in an airtight container in the fridge overnight, and serve at room temperature. *macarons will stay fresh for 4-5 maximum in fridge, or 2 months in freezer. Do not leave out at room temperature for more than 1 day or else they will get dry.