My Family is Coming!!

My family is coming to visit this week!! I am so excited!

I love Macarons!

Last week I went to the mall. I wasn't looking for anything in particular (other than a Hot Dog on a Stick), but I wandered into Anthropology while I was there. I have never purchased anything from Anthropologie although I think they have great door knobs. I just don't have any doors to stick knobs on.
Anyway, I did find something. It was a skinny little book hiding away next to a vegan cupcake book. Vegan cupcakes. I don't even want to know.
But there was this book. It was called I Love Macarons! For those of you who don't know: I LOVE macarons too!!! I used to eat them by the dozen. Maybe kilo (although I was still no match for Claire).
So the book. I hummed and hawed. Then finally decided it fit into my $20 a week budget (it was $14). They wrapped it in paper like it was silk. Ridiculous Anthropologie, ridiculous.
I brought it home and read through it. Admittedly, the first thing I made from it was a banana milk shake. And it was good. But like, how do you mess that one up?
On Sunday, my adventure began! There was no school on Monday and I had the evening at home, largely by myself. I read the book. I rounded up the ingredients, and I gave it a shot.
DISASTER. Not even an honorable mention. Absolutely horrid. The mix was super runny. Got all over the place. I didn't use parchment paper. They were little burned meringues. Horrible. Disaster.
But I was determined. Since seeing those beautiful pictures, I could taste the macaron. I dreamed of them (literally). I missed those little things. I wanted a raspberry one. And a lemon one. And a chocolate. And a strawberry. Maybe even a hazelnut? Oh how I yearned for those sweet little cookies.
Friday was the day. No school Saturday, enough time to make a ginormous mess. So I played it smarter, I researched. I went to Barnes and Noble and looked online to find anything I could about macaron tips. I looked up every step. I even looked into the proper way to beat egg whites. A couple different articles. Found this guy. This may have taken a few hours. Then I donned my apron and set about attempt #2. I wanted a success by attempt #5.
So I set about. Vanilla Macarons. Basic recipe. I chopped, I pulverized, I whipped, I meringued, I macaronnaged. Then I crossed my fingers and put them in the oven: with parchment paper.
Success!! They were the cutest little cookies on the block. I wanted to gobble them up then and there. Unfortunately, I wasn't sure they would turn out so I didn't make any filling. That's when I learned I don't know how to make butter cream ( but I did find out what happens when you burn sugar). That's when I went with chocolate. And added "filling" to my list of things to learn.
Next time macaron. Next time.
Overall, a GREAT success. And I can't wait to try out FLAVORS. So next time anyone visits (except Libby - Almonds AND eggs :( )there will be macarons a plenty.