RASPBERRY ALMOND MACAROONS

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons ground almonds (4 ounces whole almonds equal 1 cup ground almonds.)
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 large egg whites
2 tablespoons sugar
Raspberry Buttercream (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine ground almonds and confectioners' sugar in food processor until very fine; set aside.

In medium bowl, whisk egg whites until stiff but not dry. Add sugar, and whisk again until very stiff. Using rubber spatula, add 1/3 almond mixture to egg whites and gently fold in, leaving some streaks. Gently fold in remaining almond mixture by thirds.

MAKING A PIPING BAG FOR BATTER:
Place a sturdy plastic storage bag into a tall water glass, folding its top back around the rim of the glass. Gently spoon batter into plastic bag. Remove bag from water glass and close, snipping a hole in one bottom corner. Use this bag to pipe 1-inch "kisses" (dough shaped like Hershey's Kisses) onto baking sheets.

Bake 18 to 20 minutes, turning pans halfway through baking or until set but not dried out. Let cookies cool completely before removing from parchment paper with a small offset spatula. Make raspberry Buttercream.

RASPBERRY BUTTERCREAM

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon seedless raspberry jelly
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Using mixer, beat butter with salt until fluffy. Add confectioners' sugar, jelly and vanilla; beat until blended.

Place teaspoon of buttercream in center of half the cookies. Top with remaining cookies, pressing down until buttercream squeezes to the edge of each sandwich.

Serve and then store airtight for up to 2 days.

Makes 36 sandwich cookies
Source: Almond Board of California