Hi Catherine, I think it would be fine to try the same chocolate variation recommendations suggested in the Simple Macarons recipe with the more traditional macaron recipe, but I would not suggest using a sugar alternative with this type of recipe. We've found that our sugar alternative doesn't work well in candy-making and meringues, and this recipe requires a little bit of both because of the sugar syrup. You might be able to get away with a small portion of the sugar being an alternative, but to be on the safe side I would recommend sticking with the sugar recommended. 

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