Strawberry Macarons

This past weekend my friend asked me to make some macarons for a bridal shower she was throwing. Macarons can be very temperamental but I was very happy with the way they turned out. 

Last night, after flipping through the channels only to find nothing interesting on TV, I headed into the kitchen and decided to make a batch for myself with the leftover ingredients. Inspired by the bright pink peonies I picked from my garden a few days ago, I went with a pink cookie with a strawberry frosting for the center.

For the cookies I used Bakerella's recipe found here.

For the filling I made a delicious, yet rich strawberry frosting. Here is the recipe:

Strawberry Frosting (For cookies, cakes, cupcakes and eating off a spoon)

Makes about 2 cups

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, at room temperature
• 2 Tbsp. good quality strawberry preserves
• 1- 1.5 cups icing sugar 

1. Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment and mix until fluffy.
2. Stop the machine and add the preserves. Mix until combined.
3. Turn the machine to low, and while running, slowly add the icing sugar, 1/2 cup at a time until desired consistency is achieved. The more sugar you add the more dense the frosting. 
4. Turn the machine to high and mix for another minute until fluffy.