Easy to do French Macarons

It all started when I went overseas and had macarons for dessert. I had not tried them in the U.S. yet. No one I knew at the time ever had any. It was quite an experience. I didn't know a delicate little cookie could be crispy and soft and flavorful. I had to find out how to make them. Doing research about these cute little patisseries was at first disheartening. Everybody talked about how difficult it was. Everybody said how easy it was to fail. They said if your oven was off by even a little, the macarons would be ruined. With a little coaxing and reassurance from my husband, I decided to try anyway. I tried a couple recipes until I finally got the delicate cookies right! Then, I wondered what made these so difficult. What could I do to make this process a bit better? That is how this recipe came about. I hope it helps you the way it helped me and makes macaron baking a bit less intimidating.

Ingredients:

• 2 egg whites
• 1/4 cup granulated or castor sugar
• 1/3 cup flour (all-purpose or almond)
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Steps:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Beat the egg whites until they resemble soap foam.
3. Add the castor sugar to the egg whites and beat until they reach what is called stiff peak stage. You can tell by how glossy the egg whites are, how the egg whites stay where they are when the whisk passes through them, and if you're really daring, by how the egg whites stay in the bowl when you turn it upside down.
4. Sift in the egg mixture your flour and powdered sugar.
5. Fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until just mixed. To fold, take your spatula around the outside of the mixture in a "C" shape and then at the top of the "C" bring the spatula straight through the mixture. Do this on both sides. You will know it's done when you no longer see bits of flour and powdered sugar, and when you hold up your spatula, the batter drips down slowly and forms a "v" shape.
6. Fill a piping bag with your macaron batter. You can either cut the tip off or use a round piping tip.
7. Pipe circles the size of your choice, leaving 1/2 inch between them, on parchment paper or silicone mats.
8. Tap the baking tray several times on the counter. This helps remove air bubbles and prevent cracking.
9. Leave the macarons for a minimum of 30 minutes. The macarons must develop a film over them before you bake them. You will be able to touch them gently without batter sticking to your finger.
10. Bake your macarons for 8 to 13 minutes depending on the size.
11. Allow your macarons to cool completely before removing them from the tray and adding buttercream or other filling to your cookie.

I hope this recipe makes your life easy and helps fulfill your dreams of having macarons whenever you want.