Pink macarons with vanilla cream

Instructions

1. Lightly spray 2 baking trays with oil and line with baking paper.
2. Place ½ cup (80g) icing sugar and almond meal in a medium bowl and mix until well combined. Using electric beaters, beat egg white in a small, clean, dry bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add caster sugar, 1 teaspoon at a time, beating well after each addition until sugar has dissolved. Add food colouring (see note) and beat until evenly distributed. Gently fold meringue into almond mixture until just combined.
3. Spoon macaron mixture into a piping bag f itted with a 1cm plain nozzle. Pipe sixteen 3cm-wide circles, about 3cm apart, onto prepared trays. Set macarons aside, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 200°C or 180°C fan-forced.
4. Bake macarons for 10–12 minutes or until just crisp. Cool on trays.
5. Meanwhile, using electric beaters, beat spread, extra icing sugar and vanilla in a small bowl until pale and creamy. Sandwich macarons with the vanilla cream. Serve.