Preheat the oven to 350°.

Using a sheet of parchment paper, draw 24 one-inch circles on the paper, spacing them at least half an inch apart. You can use the wide end of a large pastry tip as a template for the circles. Lay this paper on a sheet tray with the drawn circles facedown.

Place the ground almonds and powdered sugar in your food processor. Process until you have a fine powder. Sift the mixture through a sieve twice. Set this mixture aside on a piece of parchment paper.

Place the egg whites in a large, clean bowl. Using a handheld mixer or a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat on high speed until they are foamy. Gradually add the sugar to the egg whites. Add the almond extract, and beat the whites on high speed until you have stiff, glossy peaks, about 1 minute.

Add the food coloring if using, and half of the sifted almond mixture to the whipped egg whites. Fold it in gently, using a wide spatula to scoop it up from the bottom of the bowl.

Add the remaining almond mixture and mix it lightly in a circular motion.

Once the flour has been incorporated, press and spread out the batter against the bowl’s sides. Scoop the batter from the bottom, and turn it upside down. Repeat this step about 15 times. *If this step, known as macaronnage, is done less than 10 times, the macarons will lack luster. If this step is done more than 20 times, oil stains may remain on the pastries’ surface after they are baked.

When the batter becomes nicely firm and drips slowly as you scoop it with the spatula, it is done.

Set up a piping bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round tip. Fill the piping bag with the batter until it is about 1/2 full.

Squeeze the batter into the center of your traced circles on the parchment paper. The batter tends to spread after being piped, so don’t fill the circle in completely.

Tap the sheet tray firmly against the counter. This helps the macarons hold their rounded shape and helps to form the little “foot” (also known as the pied) when they bake.

Allow the circles to dry at room temperature, uncovered, for about 15 minutes. A slight crust should form on top of the macarons. *If the batter does not stick to your finger when you touch them, the drying is complete. If they are still a bit wet, allow them to dry a little longer.

Nest the tray of macarons onto another sheet tray. Doubling the trays helps prevent the macarons from overbrowning on the bottoms.

Bake the macarons until they are slightly crisp and crackled on top, 15 to 18 minutes.
*If the insides of the macarons are still soft, lower the temperature to 300°, cover the tray with foil, and continue to bake for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.

Allow the baked macarons to cool completely. After they are cool, spread vanilla buttercream and jam of your choice between two of the macaron shells and enjoy!