Instructions

Macarons

1. Line baking pans with parchment paper.
2. Sift powdered sugar and ground almonds together.
3. Beat egg whites and sugar until frothy and add cream of tartar.
4. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold in a few drops of pink food coloring.
5. Fold in almond flour/powdered sugar mixture one third at a time. Push batter along the sides of the bowl until it flows like thick lava.
6. Pipe into V-shapes to make hearts or use a half tablespoon measuring spoon to scoop batter into circles. If you want, top with some sprinkles.
7. Let sit for 45 minutes until there is a crust on the outside (the macarons should not stick to your fingers when you touch them).
8. Bake one sheet at a time on the lowest rack in a 300°F oven for 15 minutes.
9. Cool in pan and use a spatula to remove macarons from the parchment paper.

Strawberry Champagne Buttercream

1. Put strawberries and wine in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil until reduced to ¼ cup (about 10 minutes). Put through a strainer to remove seeds. Let cool.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the egg whites and sugar.
3. In a medium saucepan, bring 2 inches of water to a simmer, and then place the bowl with the egg whites over the simmering water and heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture reaches 145°F.
4. Remove bowl from the heat and attach to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whip the mixture on high speed until it cools to room temperature, is light and billowing, and resembles marshmallow fluff. If the meringue is warm, it will melt the butter, so feel the bowl to make sure it has cooled to room temperature before continuing.
5. With the mixer on medium-high speed, add the butter a couple of tablespoons at a time, allowing each addition to blend in fully before adding the next.
6. Add the strawberry wine mixture to the buttercream and beat to incorporate.
7. Refrigerate to firm up the buttercream (about 30 minutes).

Assembling the macarons

1. If you want more strawberry flavor, pipe buttercream around the edges of the macaron and place a small amount of strawberry jam in the middle. Top with another macaron.
2. OR you can pipe or spread enough buttercream to cover the bottom macaron and then gently place the other macaron on top.