Line two standard baking sheets with Silpat mats or parchment paper. If you use parchment, make sure it lies flat so you don’t end up with lopsided macarons.

Make sure to measure out all of your ingredients before you get started.

Fill a small saucepan halfway full with water and set it over medium heat.

Place a heatproof bowl over the pan, making sure that it doesn’t touch the water.

Add the egg whites and granulated sugar to the bowl and whisk constantly until the sugar has fully dissolved-- about 2-3 minutes. You can test to make sure the sugar is dissolved by pinching the mixture between your fingers. If it’s smooth, it’s ready. If it feels grainy or sandy, keep whisking for another minute.

Transfer the egg white mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.

Beat on medium-high speed until the egg whites reach a stiff peak.

Sift the confectioner's sugar and almond flour into the stiff egg whites.

Fold the mixture together gently, making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl as you fold. Be careful not to deflate the egg whites yet.

Once all of the dry ingredients have been incorporated, smush the batter against the sides of the bowl in a circular motion and then scrape down the sides of the bowl and fold it all back together. Repeat the deflating process until the batter flows smoothly off the spatula-- depending on how much you deflate each time, between 4-6 smush-and-folds.

Test the batter’s consistency by slowly drawing a figure 8 with the batter. If the 8 flows off the spatula in a constant stream, it’s ready to pipe. If it breaks or falls off in clumps, smush, and fold a few more times before trying the Figure 8 test again.

When the meringue flows smoothly, transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a round tip (I like a Wilton #10).

Pipe 1” circles about 2” apart (using a macaron mat can help with this - see link in post).

Immediately once you’ve finished piping one tray, hold it 6-8” off the counter and drop it straight down to release any air bubbles. Repeat 5-6 times, or until any large air bubbles have popped. The macarons will flatten slightly-- that’s okay!

Set the trays aside to rest for 25-30 minutes or until they develop a skin. When they’re ready to bake, you should be able to touch them gently without the meringue sticking to your hands.

While the trays rest, preheat the oven to 325F.

Bake the trays one at a time for 14 minutes, flipping them around halfway through baking.

Allow the macarons to cool before removing them from the tray (this helps prevent sticking).

Whisk together the cream cheese and Irish cream until smooth.

Add the confectioner's sugar and cinnamon and whisk until combined-- about 1-2 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a piping bag and set aside until ready to use.

Place the macarons in similar sized pairs.

Pipe a small dollop of filling on one macaron and place another on top. Press gently, just until the filling reaches the edges.

Place the macarons in an airtight container in the fridge to age overnight.

Bring to room temperature before serving.

Store in the fridge for up to three days.