1-Start by preparing your ingredients: measure out 105 grams almond flour, 105 grams powdered sugar, 100 grams egg whites, and 100 grams granulated sugar, then sift the almond flour and powdered sugar together for that smooth base. If you’re using 4 grams egg white powder, whisk it with the granulated sugar over simmering water until it dissolves and gets frothy, which helps stabilize your meringue.

2-Next, add the egg whites to that mixture and whisk until frothy, making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water to avoid cooking the eggs. For a vegan twist, use aquafaba instead of egg whites and whip it to soft peaks while gradually adding the granulated sugar to create a glossy meringue. Once you have stiff peaks, gently fold in the sifted dry ingredients with a spatula, being careful not to deflate the mixture it should flow like lava for the perfect consistency.

3-Now, for the fun part: transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip, and add your gel food coloring to get that vibrant red or pink shade. Heart macarons require precise piping here’s where I recommend checking out a similar technique in this blueberry cream cake recipe for more piping tips. Pipe the batter starting from the top left corner diagonally to the center with more pressure at the top, then repeat from the top right to form the heart shape, and use a toothpick to refine the edges and pointy tip.

4-Resting and Baking the Shells: After piping, tap the baking sheets firmly to release air bubbles and let the shells rest at room temperature until they’re no longer sticky this could take up to an hour depending on humidity. Preheat your oven to 310°F (154°C) and bake the trays one at a time for 15 to 20 minutes, rotating halfway for even results. The shells should have nice feet and not jiggle when done, then cool them completely before moving on.

5-For the fillings, start with the cream cheese frosting: sift 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, cream together 4 tablespoons softened cream cheese and 2 tablespoons unsalted butter for 2 minutes, then add the powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, beating until fluffy and adding milk if needed. Similarly, for almond buttercream, sift 2 cups powdered sugar and 1/4 cup almond flour, beat 6 tablespoons softened butter until creamy, add the dry ingredients and 1 teaspoon almond extract, then mix until fluffy, thinning with milk if necessary.

6-Assembling and Finishing Touches: To assemble, pipe your chosen filling onto half of the cooled shells and sandwich with the rest, then refrigerate overnight to let the flavors meld. For decoration, airbrush with food-grade colors or apply gold luster dust dissolved in vinegar or vodka for a sparkle effect drizzle chocolate and add sprinkles for extra flair. Prep time is about 2 hours 30 minutes, cook time 40 minutes, with 30 minutes resting, totaling around 3 hours 40 minutes, so plan ahead for the best results.