Macarons

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a food processor, grind almonds, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder to a fine powder. Sift through a fine mesh sieve. Set aside.
3. In a stainless steel mixing bowl, beat the egg whites on high speed until frothy. Add the granulated sugar and continue beating until the whites turn glossy and stiff peaks form.
4. Add the almond flour mixture all at once and fold to combine with a rubber spatula. Scoop batter from the bottom and fold over the top. Continue until the batter is smooth, but do not over mix. Test a small amount, the size of a quarter by dropping onto a plate. If the batter spreads nicely and does not have a peak, it is ready. If there is a stiff peak, continue folding the batter for a few more turns.
5. Fill a pastry fitted with a medium size tip with batter. Squeeze the batter onto the prepared parchment lined sheet pan forming 1” circles and spacing at least ½” apart. When the pan is full (you will have 2 separate batches and repeat this process twice), rap gently on the countertop to release any air pockets. Sprinkle cocoa nibs on top of the piped batter. *The second batch will be plain and not have cocoa nibs.
6. Let sit for 1 hour at room temperature.
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake macarons for 12- 18 minutes until slightly crisp on top. The tops should not wiggle when pressed slightly. If they wiggle, reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees and continue baking for 2 more minutes or until they are slightly firmer.
8. Place the sheet pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.

Vanilla Bourbon Buttercream

1. In a standing mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add powdered sugar and salt; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened, about 45 seconds. Scrape down bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully combined, scrape bowl and add the vanilla seeds, milk, and bourbon and beat until incorporated. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.

Assembly

1. Sandwich the buttercream between one plain macaron shell and a cocoa nib topped shell. Continue until all shells are filled. Place in an air tight container and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight to let the flavors meld. Bring to room temperature before enjoying.