Make the Pastry Cream.

Add the egg whites to a large glass or metal bowl and bring to room temperature.

Next, add the dry ingredients (almond meal, powdered sugar, and salt) to a food processor and pulse until the consistency is a fine powder. Set aside.

Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites and use a whisk attachment on a hand mixer (or stand mixer) and whisk on low speed until soft peaks form. While the mixer is running, slowly add the granulated sugar, about 1-2 tablespoons at a time. Continue mixing as you add all of the sugar and beat until stiff meringue peaks form and you have a nice glossy meringue.

Add a small amount of gel food coloring, if using, and gently fold into the meringue 3 to 4 times or until the color is evenly distributed.

Sift the dry ingredients into the egg whites. Use a spatula to gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg whites. Fold until completely incorporated and the macaron batter runs off the spatula in long ribbons. The batter should be thin enough to be able to run off the spatula and form a figure 8 in the bowl without breaking. If it breaks, fold it a little more.

Line 2 baking sheets with silicon baking mats or parchment paper. Add the batter to a piping bag fitted with a round piping tip (about 1/2 inch in diameter) and pipe the batter into 1 1/2 inch circles onto the prepared baking sheets. Once all the rounds are piped, gently lift and drop the baking sheets onto the counter to help pop any air bubbles. Let the macaron shells sit uncovered at room temperature for 45-60 minutes to help form a dry shell on the outside.

When the shells are halfway through their drying stage, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Bake the shells, one tray at a time, for 10-12 minutes – do not brown.

Cool completely before carefully removing them from the parchment paper or silicon mat.

Make the Chocolate Ganache and let it cool just long enough to be dippable without running off the macarons.

Dip the top of half of the macaron shells into the ganache and allow them to set fully before continuing — placing them in the fridge can help speed up this process.

Transfer the prepared pastry cream to a piping bag fitted with your choice of a round piping tip, such as the Wilton 10 or Wilton 12.

Pipe a small dollop of pastry cream onto the flat side of a macaron that has not been dipped in chocolate. Place a chocolate-dipped macaron shell on top and press down gently, just until the filling reaches the edges. Repeat with the remaining macarons.

Transfer the filling macarons to an airtight container and store them in the fridge overnight to soften. Bring them to room temperature and enjoy.