1. Preheat oven to 160/140 fan.
2. Blend together the icing sugar and almonds to throughly combine and sift into a seperate bowl.
3. Seperate the eggs and place the whites in a clean mixing bowl with a pinch of salt and whisk until frothy.
4. Add the castor sugar and whisk until soft peaks form, add the almond extract.
5. Add the colouring and continue to whisk.
6. Add a third of the sifted dry mixture to the whisked eggs and mix evenly to obtain a shiny and ribbon flow of consistency.
7. Carefully fold in the remaining dry mixture.
8. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag with a small plain nozzle and pipe small ( 50p piece ) on to a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. ( you can draw circles beforehand to make them even).
9. Tap the tray a few times to remove any air bubbles, and allow to rest for 30 minutes in order for them to dry out and form a skin, (they should not be tacky of wet when tested with your fingertips.)
10. Bake the macarons on the middle shelf of a preheated oven 160/140 fan for approximately 10 minutes, they should be crisp on top and puffed out from the base.
11. Allow to cool before peeling them off the baking parchment.
12. Make up the white chocolate filling.....
13. Mix together the butter, icing sugar and vanilla extract.
14. Melt the white chocolate and stir into the buttercream.
15. Pipe a little onto one half of the macaron, then sandwich together with the other half.
16. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, store in an airtight container.

Top tips:

Make larger ones if preferred.

Above will make approx 20 sandwiched macarons.

Any filling can be quite easily made, cocoa in place of white chocolate, Mascarpopne and lemon curd,

fresh seived fruit mixed in with double whipped cream, fresh lemon and rind added to the filling or meringues.