Prepare a space for the macarons to dry by going a head and lining a cookie sheet with parchment paper. If you don't have a piping bag, prepare one by snipping off ~1/4" of a gallon ziploc bag. Set aside.

Starting with the macaron ingredients, carefully sift the confectioner's sugar and almond flour. Discard any bits of almond flour that are too large to pass through the strainer.

In a large bowl, add the 3 egg whites, cream of tarter, and salt and beat on high speed until foamy. Once foamy, add the granulated sugar with mixer still running. When the mixture reaches soft peaks, add vanilla and food coloring.

Continue whipping just until the mixture forms into stiff peaks. Pay close attention to not over whip at this step.

Gently pour the almond mixture over the whipped egg whites so they don't deflate. Then by using a rubber spatula, gently fold the almond mixture into the egg whites until the batter takes 10 seconds to fall from the spatula to the bowl. This will guarantee that the almond mixture is fully hydrated with some air still present in the egg whites. Try not to over mix here...should take around 45 turns.

Transfer the batter to the prepared piping bag.

Pipe ~1 inch rounds of batter onto the prepared parchment paper, spacing at least 1 inch apart.

Tap the cookie sheet onto the countertop 4-5 times to help release any air bubbles that may be trapped in the batter rounds. Then let sit for 30-40 minutes or until the batter rounds are 'dry'-do not stick to your finger when touched.

Preheat the oven to 275 while the macarons are sitting.

Place the cookie sheet into the oven on the center rack and bake for 18-22 minutes. You don't want to over bake the macarons. So just watch them and remove before they begin to turn slightly brown. Macarons are harder to visually decipher when they are done...not the same as baking cookies.

Cool the macarons completely before sandwiching them. When ready, pipe the buttercream onto one of the cookies and gently press another cookie on top.

Store the macarons in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Add the butter to a large bowl and beat until light and fluffy

Add in confectioner's sugar, one cup at a time. Beat well between each addition.

Add the heavy cream and the almond extract, beating for an additional 1-2 minutes on high speed.