1. Preheat and prepare. Preheat your oven to 300° F. Line a couple of baking pans or cookie sheets with parchment paper (or silicone mats, if you prefer). If you plan to use a piping template, place one or two underneath the parchment. Fit your piping bag with a small round tip.
2. Sift the dry ingredients. Since I bake macarons regularly for and with clients, I sift the almond flour, powdered sugar, and any ground powder right into the bowl of whipped meringue. But for new macaron bakers, I recommend sifting ahead and setting them nearby.
3. Whip the meringue. Whip the egg whites and sugar on medium-high speed to a firm peak. The meringue is ready when shiny, silky, opaque, and resembles shaving cream. When you lift out the beater, the meringue will make slightly curved peaks or stick nearly straight up. Add a small amount of red or pink gel food coloring and whip on high speed for 30 seconds more.
4. Fold in the dry ingredients. Sift or add the dry ingredients to the whipped meringue. If it's easier, do this in a few additions. Stir vigorously at first, then fold gently by scraping in a circular motion around the inside of the bowl and then up over the top of the batter. Macaron batter is ready when it ribbons off the spatula and flows slowly but is still visibly thick. Immediately transfer the batter to your prepared piping bag. 
5. Pipe. Hold the piping bag vertically and a quarter-inch off the baking pan, and squeeze until you reach the inner edges of the template circles. Immediately stop squeezing and flick the tip away in a circular motion.
6. Tap and rest. If your batter doesn't settle flat after a few moments, tap underneath the pans with your hand to settle the batter. Let the piped macarons rest on the counter for 10 to 20 minutes. The shells will turn from shiny and sticky to smooth and dull.
7. Bake. Bake the macarons for 14 to 18 minutes, rotating the pan once the signature pied, or “feet” form. This happens after about eight minutes of baking. Begin checking for doneness after 12 to 13 minutes. Gently nudge the tops of a couple of macaron shells with your finger. If the tops don't wiggle, the macarons are done. Try to avoid browning the bottoms of the shells.
8. Match and fill. Remove the pan and cool the shells for a couple of minutes. Then, peel them gently away from the parchment or baking mat. Make pairs of macarons and pipe strawberry jam, strawberry buttercream, or both onto half of the shells. Then top with their partners.
9. Store chilled.  Store the filled macarons in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 24 hours. This allows the shells to soften and fill in (become less hollow) as they absorb moisture and flavor from the fillings. Macarons keep for about a week. Always serve macarons at room temperature.

For the Strawberry Filling

1. Bloom the gelatin. Sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the water in a small bowl. The mixture will gelatinize, becoming thick and opaque after about five minutes. Remove the stems from your strawberries and blend until smooth.
2. Simmer the jam ingredients. In a small pot, bring puréed strawberries, lemon juice, a small pinch of salt, and sugar to a simmer over medium heat. Cook gently for about five minutes.
3. Whisk in the gelatin and cool. Remove the pot from the heat, and whisk in the bloomed gelatin until it dissolves. Pour the filling into a small heat-safe bowl and press plastic wrap against the top. Cool the filling in the refrigerator. Stir to loosen it up before piping on the macaron shells. Store chilled.