• Preheat the oven to 275°F (135°C) using conventional setting.
• Put the sugar and water into a small saucepan over medium heat.

  Stir carefully with a spatula or wooden spoon until the sugar has dissolved. Stop stirring as soon as the sugar has dissolved.
• Remove the spatula and bring to a boil. Place a candy thermometer into the saucepan and cook until the syrup reaches 235°F (113°C).
• Start the mixer with the egg whites and whisk at high speed.
• When the syrup has reached 239°F (115°C), remove from the heat and carefully pour into the mixing bowl with the egg whites. Continue whisking for about 7-8 minutes, or until the bowl no longer feels warm to the touch.
• Meanwhile, mix the very finely ground almonds, powdered sugar, and the remaining egg whites and scraped vanilla beans. Make sure everything is well blended. When the meringue is done mixing, stir a spoonful into the almond paste to loosen the texture
• Fold in the remaining meringue. It’s important to fold carefully to avoid losing too much air. Use a rubber spatula or large metal spoon to “lift” and fold the mixture rather than stirring it.
• Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a wide circular tip and pipe flat circles onto a macaron silicone mat, or a sheet of baking parchment.
• Bake in the preheated oven 320 ˚F (160 ˚C) for 15-17 minutes.
• Check regularly after 12 minutes. Touch a macaron with your finger to see if it’s done. The surface should be dry and firm to the touch.
• The macarons should not change color or brown while baking.

  If they brown you may need to adjust the temperature in your oven.

  Let cool before filling.

Chocolate Filling

• Melt the chocolate with the coffee using a bain marie (water bath).

  Stir in the butter until the mixture is smooth, then chill for 20 minutes
• Sandwich together the macarons using 1 teaspoon of chocolate frosting for each pair.