These macarons are a delicious treat. They are made with an apple cinnamon cookie and filled with cinnamon, apples, and caramel buttercream. This recipe is on the more difficult side, so it’s important to follow the steps precisely.

Serving Size: 15-18 Sandwich Cookies

Cookie Ingredients: 

• 7 oz powdered sugar 
• 2½ oz almond flour 
• 1½ oz freeze dried apple slices       
• 3 tsp cinnamon 
• 4 oz egg whites (about four eggs) 
• 3½  oz granulated sugar  

Filling: 

• 1 apple
• 2 tsps cinnamon 
• 1 tbsp sugar 
• 1 cup butter 
• 1½ cup powdered sugar 
• 1 tsp vanilla 
• ⅓ cup caramel sauce
• ½ tsp salt 

Directions for cookies:

1. Preheat the oven to 300° Fahrenheit. 
2. Grind up the freeze-dried apple slices until they turn into a fine powder.
3. Sift together the apple powder, almond flour, and powdered sugar.     
4. Put the egg whites in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment and begin mixing at medium speed.  
5. Once the egg whites begin to hold their shape, slowly add the sugar while it continues whipping. 
6. Then, continue mixing until firm peaks appear. You can determine this by taking a spatula and gently touching it against the white fluff and pulling up. If the peak stays standing without any leaning, then it has been whipped enough. 
7. Take mixing bowl out of the stand and add about one-third of the dry ingredients to the egg white and sugar mixture. There is a specific way to mix in order to keep air from exiting the meringue and ruining your cookies. You scrape around the edge of the bowl, then fold the mixture over into the middle. Fully incorporate each third of the dry ingredients before adding more.
8. Gently spoon the mix into a piping bag with a large tip with a diameter of about ¼ inch.
9. Then, place a baking sheet onto a pan  and begin piping macarons. A Silpat is a variety of “baking sheet” recommended for macarons and getting properly-sized cookies, pictured below.
   
   

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   Lilly Wolfe
10. After all the cookies have been piped, pick up the pan and drop it onto counter. This lets excess air out of the cookie.
11. Put water into a small bowl and dip your finger into it. Then, gently tap the peaks down on the macarons to give the cookies a smooth top.
12. Put in the oven for 14-16 minutes.

Directions for filling:

1. Peel the whole apple and finely dice it.
2. Saute the apple pieces on medium heat. Put the cinnamon and sugar on the apples and mix throughout. Let the apples cook for around 10 minutes, then set aside.
3. Put the butter in the mixer and mix for about one minute.
4. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla to the butter. After they have been sufficiently mixed in, add caramel. Continue mixing for around two minutes, or until incorporated. 
5. Pipe the caramel buttercream on one cookie. Then, put about 5 apple pieces onto the buttercream. Place another cookie on top of the buttercream, and repeat this process until all of the cookies have been filled and you have an assortment of cookie sandwiches. 

These cookies should be refrigerated and will be fresh for one week. Enjoy!