Candy Cane Macaroons

• Prepare baking sheet(s) with silicone liners and set aside. Using two gallon zip baggies, place several peppermint candy canes in and smash them using a rolling pin. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, sift the almond flour and powdered sugar together and mix. Set aside.
• In a large glass bowl, add egg whites and beat using a hand mixer until foamy. Add cream of tartar and beat to mix in. Add sugar slowly while beating on low-med speed. Keep mixing until stiff peaks form. Don't over mix. Check for those peaks regularly.
• Add red gel food coloring and vanilla. Mix until stiff peaks again. This should not take long.
• Gently fold in half of the almond flour/powdered sugar mixture and fold counting about 30 folds. Then fold in the other half. You should fold about 60 times total. By this point it should "flow like lava". If it is too runny add just a bit more powdered sugar/almond flour. If it is too thick(which is often what mine does here in Utah) keep doing your folds- try maybe 10 more folds then see if it is flowing.
• Once batter is ready, scrape batter into a good quality piping bag. Then using the piping bag(I don't even put a tip on) gently, but firmly, squeeze the piping bag making 1 inch rounds onto prepared baking sheet with silicone liner.
• Once the tray is completed drop the sheet pan onto the counter several times to bring the air bubbles to the surface. This is important! Don't forget this step(I can say this because I often forget!)
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Let the macaroons sit at room temperature for 20 minutes or until a "skin" has formed on them and they are slightly firm to the touch.
• Bake for about 13-15 minutes. Macaroons should not be soft or move when done. They should not brown either. Let cool on baking sheet for 2-5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. Do not try to move them off the baking sheet any earlier than this.
  

Butter Cream Frosting

• Make your butter cream frosting. See recipe in notes. Place frosting in a piping bag with the tip of your choice. Any tip will work.
• When the macaroons are cooled and matched into pairs, squeeze some butter cream frosting onto one half of the macaroon- make sure you keep in mind you will be placing the other half on and squeezing down on the frosting. You do want the frosting to reach the edges though, because we will roll them in the crushed peppermint candy canes.

  When placing the other half of the macaroon cookie on, remember to do this gently so you don't break the macaroon.
• Gently roll the macaroon in the crushed peppermint candies.
• Set aside when done. They are ready to serve. They can sit at room temperature for 1-2 days. Or store in the fridge or freezer. When thawing from freezer, place in fridge for 24 hours before serving.