The French Macaron

Oh, elusive French macaron!  What justifies the price of ~$1/bite for this tiny, delicate cookie sandwich?  It is the burst of flavor in every bite from the smooth filling nestled between two airy cookies.  The exciting part is that macarons are available in myriad flavors, from salted caramel to blackberry.  It is commonly said that they are extremely challenging to make yourself at home; however my love for macarons helped me overcome any discouragement from attempting this.

I found a few steps that were crucial in making these macarons perfect:

*Adequately beat the egg whites in order to introduce enough air to make the macarons light in texture

*Be sure to allow the piped batter sit on the cookie sheet for a minimum of 30 minutes, or until properly air-dried (and not sticky).  This will help bring about the "legs" of the macarons.

*Use a non-stick baking sheet, such as a silicone mat to help ease removal of the macarons after baking.  This is especially important since they are so fragile and can break extremely easily.

I was very pleased with my first attempt in making vanilla and orange flavored macarons.  However, when I'm not willing to spend about 4 hours to prepare my own, I am certainly willing to pay the price charged by patisseries for these little bites of happiness.

- Candice