Vanilla Bean Macarons

Ingredients

• Vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon
• Butter - 1/2 cup, softened
• Vanilla bean - 1, split and scraped
• Granulated sugar - 1/4 cup
• Egg whites - 3 large
• Powdered sugar - 1 cup
• Almond flour - 1 3/4 cups

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a food processor, combine the almond flour and powdered sugar and process until fine.
3. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Gradually add the granulated sugar and continue beating until the mixture is glossy and stiff peaks form.
4. Fold in the almond flour mixture and the scraped vanilla bean until the batter is smooth and shiny.
5. Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a round tip and pipe small circles onto the prepared baking sheets.
6. Let the macarons sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to develop a skin.
7. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the macarons are set and can be easily removed from the parchment paper.
8. While the macarons are cooling, beat the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract together until creamy to make the filling.
9. Once the macarons are cool, pipe a small amount of filling onto one macaron shell and sandwich it with another shell.
10. Repeat with the remaining macarons and filling.