St. Patrick's Day Macarons

This favorite French cookie is ideal for St. Patrick's Day with its melt in your mouth texture and festive green color.

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 Cup ground almonds
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• Green food coloring
• Vanilla canned frosting

Directions

• Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line baking sheets with wax paper.
• Add the powdered sugar and ground almonds into a food processor bowl and process until mixture is finely ground. Sift the mixture to remove larger almond bits.
• Beat egg whites on high speed in a clean metal mixing bowl until soft peaks form. Add granulated sugar and beat until peaks stiffen a bit. Gradually sprinkle in powdered sugar almond mixture while beating until incorporated. Beat in green food coloring until desired color is achieved.
• Transfer batter into a pastry bag fitted with a wide round tip. Pipe 1 1/2-inch diameter circles on to prepared baking sheets, making about 60 circles. (Tip: For nice rounded tops, wet your finger and smooth any tips on the circles.)
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until macarons appear dry. Remove from oven and cool completely.
• Gently peel macarons off wax paper. (Tip: Carefully run a knife under the cookies if they stick.) Mix together green food coloring and vanilla frosting until desired color is achieved. Spread about 1/2 teapsoon of green frosting on the flat side of the macaron and place the flat side of another macaron on the frosting to make a cookie sandwich.

  Makes about 30 macarons