Macaron Ingredients:
200 grams egg whites
200 grams white granulated sugar
210 grams almond flour
210 grams powdered sugar
2teaspoons of maple syrup
brown food coloring

Maple Buttercream Ingredients:
1 cup of unsalted butter (2 sticks) softened
6 cups of powdered sugar
1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract
6 ounces of pure maple syrup
1-2 tablesoons of heavy whipping cream

Maple Candied Bacon Ingredients:
1 pound of thick-sliced bacon
2 ounces of pure maple syrup
1/4 cup of packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

Macaron Instructions:
1. Before starting gather all ingredients and prepare a large piping bag with
a large round tip. Set aside.
2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
3. Measure out all of your ingredients.
4. Mix and then sift the powdered sugar and almond flour together. Set
aside.
5. Place egg whites and granulated sugar in a heat-proof bowl or in a
double broiler.
6. Over a pan of simmering water whisk the egg whites and sugar until
frothy and the sugar is completely melted. It will take a few minutes. You
can test by touching the mixture between your fingers and if you feel any
sugar granules keep whisking the mixture over the water bath.
7. Make sure the bottom of the bowl isn't touching the simmering water
because you do not want to cook your egg whites.
8. Don't overheat them either this can lead to problems down the road.
Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer or a bowl that can be used with a
hand mixer.
9. with the whisk attachment start by whishing the mixture on low for about 30 seconds. Then start gradually increasing the speed to medium. Whisk on medium for one to two minutes, until the mixture becomes white and starts to get fluffy. Raise the speed to high for a few minutes until stiff peaks have formed. The best way to check this is to keep your eye on the whites and once they get glossy and you start to see streaks forming from the whisk it might be time to stop whisking.
10. You don't want to overbeat your egg mixture because you don't want to
put too much air into it, when stiff peaks have formed you should be able to pull the whisk[s] up and the mixture should stand straight up with a
possibly slight bend at the top but none on the sides
11. Add the maple syrup and beat again until just combined
12. Pour the sifted powdered sugar and almond flour into the stiff meringue.
13. tart folding gently forming the letter J with a rubber spatula.
14. Add the food coloring now if you are using it.
15. You will know to stop folding the batter when you pick up some batter
with a spatula and try to draw a figure 8 with the batter dripping off the
batter, if it can form multiple figures8's it might be ready.
16. You can also grab a teaspoon of batter and place it on a square of
parchment paper. If after tapping he batters the air bubbles release and
the batter lays flat it is ready to pipe
17. Don make your batter to runny or it will not work.
18. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag.
19. Place the piping bag directly 90 degrees over the parchment or silicone
mat apply gentle pressure and then pull up the bag twisting slightly.
20. Once you have piped as many circles as you could, bang the trays
against the counter a few times each. This will help release air bubbles but
any leftover big air bubbles pop with a toothpick.
21. Let the trays sit for a while so the shells will dry out for about 20-90
minutes. You'll know when they are ready when you gently touch the
surface and it is dry.
22. Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
23. Bake one tray at a time.
24. Bake for 6 minutes without opening the oven then flip the trays and
bake for 8 minutes more.
25. The macarons should not feel jiggly when you move the tray if they
bake them again for 1-2 more minutes.
26. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool down before proceeding with the filling.

Maple Buttercream Instructions:
1. In a bowl beat the softened butter until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the powdered sugar in small amounts and beat until all the sugar is
incorporated.
3. Add the maple and vanilla nad beat again.
4. If the buttercream is too dense add 1-2 tablespoons of cream to thin it to
the desiered consistensy
5. Add to a piping bag and set aside.

Maple Candied Bacon Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 375 degees farenheight.
2. Line a baking sheet with foil topped with a sheet of parchment paper.
3. To make the glaze combine the brown sugar and maple syrup in a small
saucepan over medium heat.
4. Cooke, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves and the mixture starts
to bubble.
5. Add the black pepper and remove from the heat and set aside.
6. Arrange the strips of bacon on the baking sheet overlapping them slightly if needed.
7. bake until the bacon slices start to brown about 15 minutes.
8. Blot the excess grease with paper towels.
9. Brush generously with the glaze.
10. Continue baking for 5 more minutes.
11. Turn the bacon strips and blot the excess grease and coat generously
with the glaze and bake for about 10 more minutes.

Assembly:
1. On half the cooled cookies add buttercream, and put a piece of cut
bacon on top.
2. Find another cookie that matches the bottom and put it on the
butttercream and bacon twisting it slightly to seal.
3. If desired drizzles with more maple syrup and top with crumbled candied bacon pieces.

Enjoy!