French macarons originated in Italy in the 17th century based on recipes for almond biscuits, but did not become the sandwich cookies known today until the 1830s. Traditionally filled with ganache, buttercream, or jam, macarons come in many flavors from almond to chocolate to more unusual combinations like peanut butter and jelly. While specialty tools can help, macarons can easily be made at home with just a few ingredients like almond flour, powdered sugar, egg whites, and granulated sugar. The basic method involves whipping egg whites, folding in the dry ingredients to form a thick batter, piping rounds onto a baking sheet, and baking for 10-12 minutes until set.

1. French Macarons for beginners
History of the FrenchMacaron
A macaron isa sweetmeringuebasedconfection thatisinitsownrightquite intimidatingtomost
home cooks.
FrenchMacarons originatedinItalyandthe earliestknownrecipe datesbackto the 17th
century.They
appear
To be inspiredbya16th
centuryrecipe foralmondbiscuits.However,the Macaronsdidn’tbecome the
little cookie sandwiches
as we knowthemtodayuntil the 1830’s. Previouslyitwasone single diskcookiewithnodelicious filling
as we have grownto love.
Oh, The possibilities’
Whenit comesto pickingyourfavorite flavorof Macaron’sitmay not be such an easytask.These sweet
little confections
Come ina wide varietyof flavorsandthe Americanvariationsjustkeepgrowing.Traditionallyfilledwith
ganache,buttercream
Or jam; The macaron has a flavorcombinationforevery foodie’spalate.
Some of the mostcommonflavorsare:
 Almond
 Blueberry
 Caramel
 Chocolate
 Coconut
 Honey
 Orange
 Lemon
 Pistachio
 Rose
 Vanilla
 Peppercorn
The Americanvariationscanrange from one extreme toanother.Many popularconfectionflavorshave
been
Turnedintomacarons.Some of theminclude combinationssuchaspeanutbutterandjelly,mint
chocolate chipand

2. pinkchampagne to name a few.
The Basics
Frenchmacarons don’tnecessarilyrequire anyspecialtoolsandgadgets.Though,youcanpurchase
special silicon
Bakingmats that are individuallyindentedforeachcookie.Mostof themevencome withahandysquirt
Containertohelp yougetthe perfectamountfor eachlittle cookie.Silicone bakingmatsare highly
recommended
Whenmakingmacarons!Or you can give ita go withgood oldfashionedparchmentpaper.If youdo
choose the
Plainsiliconmattvs.the special macaronmat or the parchmentpaperI suggestyouprinta simple
template to
Ease the guessworkinpipingsame sizedlittlemedallions.
Basic Macarons Recipe
1 1/3 CupConfectioners’Sugar
2/3 CupAlmondFlour
3 eggwhite at roomtemp
¼ CupSugar
Ganache,Jam or Buttercreamforfilling
 Siftthe Almondflourandconfectioner’ssugartogether,setaside.
 To start whipeggwhiteswithmixeronlow speeduntilfrothy.Slowlyaddthe sugar
Andwhipon highspeeduntil stiffpeaksform.
 Gently foldthe flourmixture intothe eggwhiteshalf ata time.Fold15-20 times;The batter
Shouldbe thickand fall slowlywhenlifted.
 Place Mixture intoa pipingbagor large ziptop bag withcornercut for piping.Pipe
1inch circlesontobakingsheetslinedwithsiliconmatsorparchmentpaper.
Note:placinga printedtemplateunderthe parchmentpaperwillhelpguide the size.
 Let pipedmacaronsrestuntil a skinformsonthe top and isdry to the touch about
15-30 mins.

3.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes,rotatingthe panshalfwaythroughthe bakingtime.If youare
bakingtwosheetsat a time,the bottomandtop sheetsshouldbe rotatedtopreventover
browningonthe bottom.If onlybakingone sheetata time,bake onthe bottomrack first
for 5 minuteswithanemptysheetontop.After5 minutes,rotate the sheetandmove the
bottomsheetto the top andthe topsheettothe bottom
 The macarons have to be set before youpull themoutof the oven.Youwill know theyare done
whenyoucan touchthemand the top issetand doesnot Slide aroundunderyourfinger.
If the macaron topsslide,putthembackinon the middle rackfor another2 mins.
 Let themcool in the panfor about 10 minsthenremove andfill withyourfavorite filling.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macaron
http://www.southernfatty.com/macarons-101/
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/macarons-recipe.html#!