Heat a small saucepan of water over medium heat. Once the water is simmering, add the egg whites and granulated sugar to a heatproof bowl and set it over the water. Whisk the egg whites and sugar together until the sugar has fully dissolved, about 3 minutes.
3 large egg whites, ½ cup granulated sugar
Once the sugar has dissolved, transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Make sure to not get any water into the egg white mixture when you transfer it from one bowl to another.
Beat the egg white mixture on medium speed until the meringue holds a soft peak, about 2-3 minutes.
Add a few drops of pink gel food coloring to the meringue and continue mixing on medium speed until stiff peaks form, about 1-2 minutes. I like to start with 3-4 drops of food coloring and slowly add more if needed.
Pink gel food coloring
Once stiff peaks form, sift the powdered sugar and almond flour into the bowl and fold them gently into the meringue. Make sure to fold gently because you don’t want to deflate the egg whites.
⅘ cup powdered sugar, 1 cup almond flour
Fold just until the meringue reaches the “lava stage”. When the meringue flows smoothly off the spatula without breaking, it’s ready.
Transfer the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Pipe 1-inch macarons onto a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet.
Once you’ve finished piping the first tray, hold it a few inches off the counter and drop it straight down to release any air bubbles. Repeat 4-5 times or until any large bubbles have popped.
Repeat steps 7-8 with the second tray of macarons.
Set the macarons aside to rest for 20-30 minutes or until a skin has formed. You should be able to tap them gently without the meringue sticking to your finger.
While the macarons rest, preheat oven to 325°F.
Bake the macarons, one tray at a time, on the middle rack. Bake for 14 minutes, turning the tray halfway through baking.
Allow the macarons to cool completely on the pan before assembling.